Victor EzejaAS Federal Government awaits responses from states on reports of Judicial Panels on Police Brutality in Nigeria, the Presidency has stated that the Government would only address areas within the reports that concern it.
Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina stated this in an interview on Monday, during Channels Television’s morning Programme, ‘Sunrise Daily’.
Adesina explained that the Federal Government does not set up a panel to probe what is happening in states but steps in to address issues that are federal in nature when states make pronouncements on the panel reports in their jurisdictions.
He further explained that the Federal Government only gave the idea to states to set up judicial panels of inquiry, as it doesn’t have the power to do so.
He said, “What would happen is that when the states come up with pronouncements on that panel report, which would then be of interest to the Federal Government, is not as if they would bring it to the Federal Government.”
“When the reports come out the ones that are Federal in nature will be considered. There are some things that would be Federal in nature, the Federal Government would tackle that, but things that are state in nature, the state government will handle.
“There is an Attorney General of the Federation who will advise and the needful would be done,” Adesina explained.
On whether some states have submitted their report, Adesina however, said he is not aware if some states have done so to the Federal Government.
“I am not quite sure of that, but I know that areas that would affect the Federal Government will be looked into by the Federal Government.”
Reactions from Nigerians and even international observers have trailed the report of the Lagos EndSARS panel of inquiry released recently over the Lekki Toll Gate incident of October 2020, with many demanding immediate implementation of the panel’s recommendations.
Buhari had in response stated that the Federal Government would wait for pronouncements from state governments that established the panels to probe police brutality in the country.
The Lagos State government had also urged for restraints by the citizens over the report, adding that the government had a good intention of setting up the panel and that it would make its views on the report public at the appropriate time.
The panel’s report accused Nigerian Police and the Army of shooting #ENDSARS protesters at Lekki toll gate, and recommended holistic reform of the police force, sanctioning of officers of the Nigerian Army and police involved in shooting and killing of protesters, compensation of victims of the Lekki incident, a public apology to ENDSARS protesters who were either killed, injured or traumatized by the Incident, an institution of a memorial of the incident, amongst other recommendations.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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