Mr Adesina Ogunlana, former Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ikeja Branch Chairman, who represented #EndSARS protesters at the Lagos judicial panel, has called for the resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State following the report of the panel.
The lawyer made the demand at a press conference held in Ikeja, Lagos, after the submission of the report to Governor Sanwo-Olu.
He also called for the immediate resignation of the Minister of information, Lai Mohammed, “for his role in spreading lies and false information about the Lekki massacre.”
The panel in its report stated that the Nigerian Army, Mr Sanwo-Olu, and the police were complicit in the death of protesters at the Lekki tollgate in 2020.
The 309-page report in its executive summary said: “The panel in its report found that on October 20, 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.
Another part of the report read: “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 October 20.
“The panel found that there was an attempt to cover up the Incident of October 20, by the cleaning of the Lekki Toll Gate and the failure to preserve the scene ahead of potential investigations.”
Mr Ogunlana said the military couldn’t have acted without clearance from the president and “influence” of the Lagos governor.
“We are convinced beyond doubt that the military personnel who carried out the massacre at the Lekki Toll Gate could not have acted without clearance from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed forces, general Muhamadu Buhari. We place the blame of the Lekki Massacre at the doorstep of General Buhari and demand his immediate resignation,” he said.
Ogunlana said if Mr Sanwo-Olu can be absolved of the Lekki incident.
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