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UN Urges FG to Implement Lagos #EndSARS Panel Recommendations

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#EndSARS Protesters

By Adedapo Adesanya

The United Nations (UN) has called on the federal government to implement the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution set up to investigate issues surrounding the #EndSARS protests of 2020.

This call was given by the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, noting that the submission of the report of the panel was a welcome development.

“I welcome the submission to the Lagos State Governor, H.E. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, of the reports of the judicial panel on claims of brutality and shooting in the Lekki area of Lagos State, during the 2020 #EndSARS protests,” he said.

Mr Kallon noted that the submission of the findings of the judicial panel would accelerate the process of justice and accountability.

“I urge the government to implement the recommendations of the judicial panel of inquiry to rebuild trust and start the process of healing and reconciliation,” he added.

Background

On Monday, the panel, established to look into the shootings at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020, submitted its report to the Lagos State Government.

However, a leaked version of the report indicting the state government and the Nigerian Army was released on the Internet, leading to an uproar across social media.

In the report, the panel indicted soldiers and implicated Nigeria’s security agents in the killing and forced disappearances of harmless and unarmed youths protesting at Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.

The Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel made the revelation in a 309-page report submitted to Governor Sanwo-Olu, which found that at least 48 protesters were either shot dead or injured or assaulted.

Also, page 294 of the report read: “The atrocious maiming and killing of unarmed, helpless and unresisting protesters, while sitting on the floor and waving their Nigerian flags while singing the National Anthem can be equated to a ‘massacre’ in context.”

On page 295: “It was alleged and corroborated that the soldiers had their vans parked at the Lekki Toll Gate and removed as many bodies and corpses of the fallen protesters which they took away with their vans.”

According to the report, “the  Nigerian  Army was invited for intervention in the  State and was deployed to Lekki  Toll  Gate on the  20th  of  October  2020.

“At the  Lekki  Toll  Gate,  officers of the Nigerian  Army shot,  injured and killed unarmed helpless and defenceless protesters, without provocation or justification,  while they were waving the  Nigerian  Flag and singing the National  Anthem and the manner of assault and killing could,  in context, be described as a  massacre.

“The Panel also found that the conduct of the  Nigerian Army was exacerbated by its refusal to allow ambulances render medical assistance to victims who required such assistance.

“The Army was also found not to have adhered to its own  Rules of Engagement.

“The Panel found that the  Nigerian  Police  Force deployed its officers to the  Lekki  Toll Gate on the night of the  20th  October 2020  and between that night and the morning of the  21st  of  October,  2020,    its officer shot at,  assaulted and battered unarmed protesters,  which led to injuries and deaths.

“The police officers also tried to cover up their actions by picking up bullets.

“The panel found that  LCC  hampered the panel’s investigation by refusing to turn over some useful and vital information/evidence as requested by the  Panel and the Forensic  Expert engaged by the panel,  even where such information and evidence was by the company’s admission, available.

“It manipulated the incomplete  CCTV Video footage of the  Lekki  Toll Gate on the night of the  20th  of  October  2020,  which it tendered before the Panel.

“The Panel found that there was an invitation of the Nigerian Army to Lagos State made by the  Lagos  State  Government through the  Governor before the hierarchy of the  Nigerian  Army deployed its soldiers to the  Lekki  Toll  Gate on the night of the  20th of  October.

“The  Panel  found  that  there  was  an  attempt  to  cover  up  the  Incident  of  the  20th  of October  by  the  cleaning  of  the  Lekki  Toll  Gate  and  the  failure  to  preserve  the  scene ahead  of  potential  investigations.”

In its recommendations, the panel recommended various sums of compensation to victims of the  Lekki  Toll Gate  Incident, which must be expeditious in order to accelerate the healing process.

It also recommended that any data that may have been generated over the years on the impunity of the Police across Nigeria be studied and deployed as early warning signs  (EWS)  mechanism.

Others include sanctioning of the officers of the Nigerian Army and the  Nigerian Police Force respectively who participated in the shooting, injuring and killing of unarmed protestors at the  Lekki  Toll  Gate on the  20  and  21st  of  October  2020; Development of more robust engagement between the Youth and the  Government; Setting up of a  Standing  Committee/Tribunal to deal with cases of  Violation of  Human Rights by security agencies and a trust fund to settle compensation awarded by such committee/tribunal, among others.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Lagos Seals Radio Station, Others for Noise Pollution

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Wise FM Lagos

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

A radio station, Wise FM, has been sealed by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

The premises of the broadcast media platform, located on Ogabi Street, Meiran, Ile-Iwe Bus Stop, were shut by the state government on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, alongside other establishments across different parts of Lagos State for alleged persistent violations of environmental regulations despite repeated warnings, abatement notices, and opportunities provided for compliance.

In a statement by LASEPA, it was disclosed that the enforcement exercise was carried out in response to various environmental infractions, including noise pollution, air pollution, obstruction of official duties, and failure to comply with its directives.

As regards Wise FM, it was said that it was sealed for noise and air pollution as well as non-compliance with the Agency’s directives.

Another organisation affected, Star-View Terrace, located in Amuwo Odofin, Lagos, was shut down for noise pollution and non-compliance with the agency’s directives, while Premiership Suites, located at Akin Osiyemi Street, Off Allen Avenue, Ikeja, was sealed for non-compliance with the agency’s directives.

Speaking on the enforcement operation, the General Manager of LASEPA, Mr Babatunde Ajayi, reiterated the organisation’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding public health and ensuring a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable environment across Lagos State.

He stressed that both individuals and corporate organisations have a responsibility to comply with environmental laws and regulations, stressing that environmental protection remains a collective duty that requires the cooperation of all stakeholders.

The LASEPA boss warned that the agency would continue to intensify enforcement actions against violators in order to curb environmental nuisances and protect residents from the harmful effects of pollution.

Mr Ajayi urged residents, business owners, and operators of commercial establishments to adopt environmentally responsible practices and cooperate with regulatory authorities in promoting a healthier, cleaner, and more livable Lagos.

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LPPC Temporarily Strips Mike Ozekhome of SAN Title

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mike ozekhome SAN title

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Renowned legal practitioner, Mr Mike Ozekhome, has been directed to desist from using the prestigious title of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) for now pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings against him.

He is being investigated by the Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC), a body which looks into complaints against lawyers in Nigeria.

Announcing the suspension of the prominent lawyer’s SAN rank on Thursday, the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mr Kabir Akanbi, said the disciplinary action was taken at the committee’s 173rd general meeting on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

Mr Akanbi, who doubles as the Secretary of the LPPC, stated in the statement that the temporary ban is intended to safeguard the integrity, dignity, and prestige of the SAN rank while the matters under review are being considered.

It was explained that the suspension was pursuant to Paragraph 26(6) of the Guidelines for the Conferment of the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria and all Matters Pertaining to the Rank, adding that it is tied to disciplinary proceedings currently before the Disciplinary and Ethics Sub-Committee of the LPPC and other related proceedings.

“The LPPC remains committed to upholding the highest standards of professional ethics, integrity, and discipline within the legal profession and to ensuring that the Rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria continues to command public confidence and respect,” a part of the notice disclosed.

It stressed that, “Mike Ozekhome shall refrain from parading himself, presenting himself, or otherwise holding himself out as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria pending the final determination of the disciplinary proceedings.”

The title of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) is the highest honour bestowed upon legal practitioners in the country, recognising excellence and long-standing contributions to the legal profession. The LPPC is the statutory body empowered to award and withdraw the rank.

Mr Ozekhome is one of Nigeria’s famous constitutional lawyers, human rights activists, and public commentators, but lately, his name was mentioned in an alleged forgery in the United Kingdom.

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Senate Passes State Police Bill

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Senate Petroleum Industry Bill

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

The bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria was on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, passed by the Senate during a plenary presided over by the Senate President, Mr Godswill Akpabio.

The piece of legislation was passed today after more than two-thirds of the lawmakers in the red chamber of the National Assembly voted in support via a manual voting process involving the raising of hands.

Before the passage at the plenary, the chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the Constitution, Mr Barau Jibrin, presented the panel’s report to his colleagues.

According to him, the bill will transform policing in the country and boost security, as it allows the sub-nationals to create their own policing system.

The bill provides for the Federal Police Service to be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, while the State Police Service will be led by a Commissioner of Police, who will be appointed by the governor of the state, subject to confirmation by the state’s House of Assembly.

To prevent the misuse of state police against political opponents or critics, ensuring that any action taken against such individuals or groups complies with due process and existing laws, the bill prohibits the Commissioner of Police of a state from arresting, detaining, investigating, or deploying force against any critic of the state governor, except in accordance with the law.

After the clauses of the bill were considered at the Committee of the Whole, the bill was passed and will be transmitted to the President for assent into law.

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