Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the Lagos government will publicly disclose the restitution report of the #EndSARS judicial panel of inquiry.
”We do not know the content of the report, but we want to say publicly that, upon the handover, we will be making it public. We will not cover up anything. This is not who we are, and that is not what our government stands for,” the governor promised. “We will make full disclosure of whatever recommendations that the panel will come up with. I assure citizens of Lagos that we will not leave anything to chance.”
Mr Sanwo-Olu stated this at the 10th National Council On Lands, Housing and Urban Development meeting on Thursday in Lagos.
He said the final report of the Lagos state judicial panel of inquiry and restitution was being awaited, and the government would not attempt to cover up the panel’s recommendations, whether it was in its favour or not.
”The panel concluded its sittings about three days ago and has asked for time to put the reports together behind closed doors,” added Mr Sanwo-Olu.
According to him, the panel’s report will help strengthen true reconciliation and prevent the re-occurrence of violence.
The governor said it was an arduous task to rebuild Lagos a year after it was hit by a wave of arson trailed the #EndSARS protests.
He added that the state recorded huge losses in assets and resources following the violence that trailed the protest, as public transportation infrastructure, court buildings, police stations, private property, and iconic assets were all razed on October 21, 2020.
The panel was set up to look into allegations of human rights abuses against the police and also determine the cause of the coordinated attacks on Lagos, the governor noted, assuring that the panel’s final report would be fully implemented, as it had concluded sittings on October 18, one year after it was constituted.
On arrests, the governor disclosed that he had ordered the unconditional release of those detained by the police, except for one person caught with dangerous weapons at the scene, and confessed to the police that he joined the protest to cause mayhem.
Mr Sanwo-Olu commended the police for being alive to its responsibilities, identifying and isolating troublemakers from law-abiding people who conducted themselves lawfully.
He further extended a hand of fellowship to the youths to be stakeholders in the development of the state, reiterating his commitment to reconciliation while urging them to join the rebuilding effort to restore the operational capacity of institutions affected by the violence.
(NAN)
