FRIDAY- 19th November, 2021: A member of the Lagos panel, Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, has raised an alarm that members of the panel, led by Justice Doris Okuwobi, retd, were being unjustly persecuted by some unnamed agents of the state.
Counsel to Lagos State Government, Mr. Abiodun Owonikoko, SAN, had in an interview on Arise TV yesterday, made comments that tended to raise doubts about the report of the panel, while another member of the panel, Temitope Majekodunmi, had 24 hours hours earlier, said the report contained errors in spelling of names of some of the victims but also noted that it did not vitiate the content of the report.
However , Adegboruwa in a statement yesterday, said: “Since the submission of the EndSARS Panel Report to the Governor of Lagos State on November 15, 2021, members of the panel have become subject of vicious attacks by those suspected to be agents of the government.
“All manner of allegations have been heaped upon panel members, some of who have been called unprintable names.
“I can confirm that no member of the panel lobbied to be appointed into the panel. As a matter of fact, in my own case, His Excellency, the governor of Lagos State, appealed to me to accept my appointment, which I saw as a call to national service.
“The primary reason the governor gave to me then was that he wanted men and women of integrity, independent and not subject to manipulation, to be on the panel.
“Just today (yesterday), my attention has been drawn to an interview by a senior counsel to the Lagos State Government, to the effect that panel members collected bribe in the course of the assignment. It is unfair, ungodly and least expected of the government and its lawyers.
“The Lagos State Government asked for two weeks to enable it release a White Paper on the report submitted to it by the panel. We have been waiting, but it would seem that the Lagos State Government has now unleashed mindless propaganda upon panel members, whilst at the same time asking for restraint from the general public.
“I have in my custody, certified true copies of all proceedings of the panel and all exhibits tendered before the panel in respect of the Lekki Toll Gate investigation. I urge the government to call its agents and lawyers to order so as not to provoke aggravated responses.
“It is unfair to seek to denigrate peoples’ hard-earned reputation on account that they only accepted to render selfless service at the behest of government. If the government and its agents are not restrained from attacking others, nothing stops us from defending our integrity.
“I should not become a victim of unwarranted attack just because I accepted to serve the government and the outcome of that assignment did not favour the expectations of the government.
Suffice to mention that I worked with men and women of unblemished integrity and I’m proud to be associated with them all.
“I, therefore, appeal to His Excellency the Governor of Lagos State to call all agents of state to order and to keep to his promise to us to release a White Paper within two weeks and to send the unedited report of the panel, to the National Economic Council, NEC.’’
