General
UN Urges FG to Implement Lagos #EndSARS Panel Recommendations
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.
By Abiodun Alade
At sixty-eight, a legacy stands tall,
A testament to vision, strength, and resolve.
Aliko Dangote, a name renowned,
A builder of empires, a force unbound.
By hard work, you carved your way,
With perseverance that turned night to day.
Through trials and triumphs, you have grown,
A titan whose empire is deeply sown.
In realms of business, you lead with grace,
A mind that sees the future, a steady pace.
Cement, oil, fertiliser—and ventures galore,
Each triumph a legend, each success a lore.
Your wisdom, like a river, flows deep,
In markets and minds, your influence keeps.
With each brick laid, with each step taken,
A legacy of progress, never shaken.
At sixty-eight, your journey’s clear,
A tale of triumph, without fear.
For wealth is more than gold and gain—
It’s a legacy, a lasting reign.
Aliko Dangote, you stand as a guide,
A figure of dignity, with nothing to hide.
May your influence grow, spreading all around,
For your life is a story, in gold, profound.
As you celebrate this milestone, so grand,
May your light shine bright, across the land.
For your life is a tale of the brave, the wise,
A legacy that forever will rise.
Abiodun, a communications specialist, writes from Lagos
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The chairman of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, Mr Idris Olalekan Kusimo, has described the officials who extorted the crew of BBC Yoruba some days ago as fake, dissociating his administration “from this shameful act.”
In a statement he signed, Mr Kusimo stressed that the alleged council officials were not authorised to collect fees and taxes on behalf of the council despite operating on the premises of the local government secretariat.
On Tuesday, April 7, 2025, BBC Yoruba posted on its Facebook page and website about the ordeal of its crew in the hands of persons believed to be working for the local government.
The media platform’s vehicle was stopped, and N60,000 was fined for not having a Joint Tax Board (JTB) levy. The fine was negotiated to N45,000, and when it was time to pay, the council officials demanded cash and not a transfer, which raised suspicion.
Apparently embarrassed by the reactions to the report and comments by other victims of the extortion, Mr Kusimo released a statement exonerating the council from the alleged fraud.
He described those who stopped the crew as “some unscrupulous individuals” who “falsely presented themselves as officials of Ifo Local Government and unlawfully accosted motorists, including your reporter, along the Ojodu-Abiodun axis.”
According to him, the persons “do not represent the council in any capacity” as Ifo Local Government does not sanction, condone, or benefit from their illegal activities, which include the forceful removal of vehicle number plates and extortion of motorists.”
“While the accused persons operate from a rented space within the Ojodu-Abiodun Office Complex, their actions are entirely self-motivated and criminal,” he noted, adding that a “thorough investigation into the activities of these impostors” has been initiated.
Mr Kusimo urged “affected motorists, including the BBC Yoruba team, to provide further details to assist in prosecuting these fraudsters,” advising members of the public “to report any such incidents directly to the council or security Agencies and to request proper identification from anyone claiming to be an official of Ifo government.”
He stated that Ifo Local Government remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Lagos State government has sealed 13 markets across the state for persistent violations related to illegal waste disposal in the Ketu area and its environs in an effort to promote environmental cleanliness and safeguard public health.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, confirmed the closure of the affected markets in a statement on his X handle on Friday.
Mr Wahab said the enforcement actions were in line with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017, aimed at ensuring responsible waste management and maintaining public order.
Notably, Ketu and Mile 12 markets were sealed last night due to consistent violations, including the improper disposal of waste on roads, medians, and highways.
The 13 markets shut down by the government were Erukan Market, Mile 12; Oja Oba Market, Ketu; Owoseni Tundas Market; Oba Ogunjobi Market, Mile 12; Shops Owners (BRT Terminal), Mile 12; and Mile 12 Bus Stop Shops; Ketu Terminal Market (6 plazas); Ifesowapo Shop Owners Market, Mile 12; Demurin St Plaza Shops, Ketu; The Occupant, 6 Demurin Road, Ketu; Ifelodun Market, Ketu; Ibadan Unit 1 Park (in-between Babajide Sanwo-Olu Market and Ikosi Fruit Market); and Ketu Tipper Garage.
The closure of the market was necessary to restore cleanliness and public safety in these busy commercial areas, according to Mr Wahab.
The Lagos State government emphasized that market stakeholders must take full responsibility for proper waste management going forward to avoid further disruptions.
“These enforcement actions are necessary to safeguard public health and restore order to our public spaces,” Mr Wahab was quoted as saying.
The Lagos State government also called on residents and market stakeholders to collaborate in building a cleaner, safer, and more responsible Lagos.
The enforcement is part of ongoing efforts to ensure the city remains livable and sustainable for all.
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