Judicial Panel
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on police brutality
failed to sit on Saturday after members could not form a
quorum.
Chairman of the panel and retired Chief Judge of Lagos, Justice
Doris Okuwobi said the youth representatives did not show up for
today’s sitting.
Their absence may not be unconnected to the freezing of the
accounts of 19 individuals and a public affairs company linked to
the #EndSARS protests.
According to a court document obtained by Channels Television,
Rinu Odulala, a member of the panel was one of those affected.
A source close to the panel confirmed to Channels
Television that it views this as a direct attack on the
sitting.
This comes a day after a Federal High Court in Abuja granted the
request of the Central Bank of Nigeria to freeze the said accounts
as filed by the apex bank on October 20.
READ ALSO: Court Grants CBN’s Request To Freeze
Accounts Of 19 #EndSARS Protesters
The court order directed the affected banks to freeze all
transactions on the accounts for a period of 180 days pending the
outcome of an investigation currently being conducted by the
CBN.
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Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has submitted an affidavit to the
Lagos State Judicial Panel on police brutality set up by the state
government to probe the shooting of #EndSARS protesters at the
Lekki tollgate on the night of October 20.
Brigadier General Ibrahim Taiwo, representing the army
authorities had been summoned and was already seated.
In the statement already before the panel, he confirmed that
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos had requested the intervention
of the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai to
suppress the already brewing violence within some parts of the
state.
According to the affidavit, Lieutenant Colonel Salisu Ovada
Bello, the Commander of the 65 Battalion was at the Lekki Tollgate
and had fired blank bullets into the air in order to disperse the
protesters.
The commander explained that no one had died, adding that only
two people fainted.
The affidavit also explained that Brigadier General Francis
Omata, who was also at the Lekki tollgate, confirmed later that
evening that there were no fatalities.
Read more https://swordpress.com.ng/2020/11/07/absence-of-youth-representatives-stalls-lagos-inquiry/