The Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 And Beyond (ASCAB), led by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana has said it will set up an independent National Citizens Panel of Inquiry to investigate the October 20 shooting of protesters at Lekki Toll Gate.
In an October 25, 2020 statement signed by Falana, interim chairman of the group, ASCAB resolved, after the Emergency Meeting by its affiliates, two days earlier on the state of the perilous state of the nation to take certain steps.
Falana accused the security agencies of engaging the services of sponsored thugs to attack peaceful protesters in Lagos and Abuja for about 12 days.
He said, “It is such state sponsored thuggery that boomeranged as boys and girls who have been used and dumped by politicians turned the peaceful protests to a conflagration that engulfed the nation.
“ASCAB is not unaware that the Lagos State Government has directed the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up to probe allegations of police brutality to unravel the brutal attack on the peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate.”
He said, “ASCAB has however requested the Government to direct the Coroner to conduct an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the unnatural death of protesters.”
Furthermore, ASCAB shall establish an Independent National Citizen’s Panel of Inquiry under a number of conditions Composition of the Citizen’s Panel of Inquiry shall comprise representatives of credible and identified organisations of the youth that took part in the #Endsars protest movement, including the Feminist Coalition, among others; representatives of credible and tested civil society organisations.
He said the panel shall be chaired by a respected and credible senior legal practitioner or a retired judge;
He stated, “The Panel of Inquiry shall request and receive petitions from relatives of fallen heroes and other aggrieved persons whose fundamental rights have been abused in relation to the #endsars protest movement.
“The Panel shall undertake forensic analysis of evidence received. The Panel shall recommend appropriate scale of compensation for dependents of victims of rights abuse.”
