Human rights activist and lawyer, Abdul Mahmud says Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is complicit in the October 20, 2020 shooting of peaceful protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate and should resign.
Recall that soldiers and police opened fire on peaceful protesters calling for an end to brutalities in the hands of the police, especially the now-defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
The Federal Government in a misinformation campaign led by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed dismissed the shooting and accompanied deaths, further describing it as ‘Phantom’.
However, the Lagos Judicial Panel on Police Brutalities in its report made public on Monday established that no less than twelve persons were killed by security agents at the Toll Gate.
The report also noted that soldiers evacuated the bodies of the protesters killed, picked spent bullet shells in order to conceal evidence.
Barrister Mahmud in a post on Twitter titled “Takeaways from the Lagos #Endsars Report. The morning after the night before”, said Sanwo-Olu was complicit in the shooting on the night of October 20th.
He also explained that the governor has “no business setting up a Committee to study the Report, with a view to issuing the White Paper”.
He tweeted:
1. Sanwo-Olu invited the Army
2. Live rounds were used on protesters
3. Protesters were peaceful, waving flags
4. Killings were a massacre
5. Bodies were removed
6. LCC manipulated CCTV images
Now:
1. Who ordered the deployment of the Army?
2. Who ordered the shootings?
3. Where are the bodies, so families and activists can bury their fallen compatriots?
Sanwo-olu has no business setting up a Committee to study the Report, with a view to issuing the White Paper
Sanwo-olu is complicit. He should do two things:
1. Hand the Report to the Attorney General Lagos State for him to commence criminal investigation and prosecution of those named in the Report as complicit, including Sanwo-olu
2. He should resign
His position has become untenable
