We have been vindicated by Lagos #EndSARS panel report —Amnesty International

Global human rights group, Amnesty International (AI) says the report by the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters, has vindicated its position on the killing of innocent Nigerian youths by soldiers at the Lekki Tollgate on October 20, 2020.

AI, in a statement on its Facebook page on Tuesday, hailed the report and insisted that those indicted by the panel must be brought to justice.

In the statement titled, ‘Nigeria: Perpetrators must Face Justice after #EndSARS Panel Confirms Shootings of Protesters at Lekki Tollgate,’ signed by the Director, Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, AI said the panel’s findings has “revealed the truth about what happened at the Lekki tollgate and contradicted the blatant denial by the Nigerian government that deadly force was used against peaceful protesters.”

The global rights body said it recalled that a day after the crackdown, it carried out an on-the-ground investigation of it’s own and confirmed that the Nigerian Army and the police had killed at least 12 peaceful protesters in Lekki and Alausa, with evidence gathered from eyewitnesses, video footage and hospital reports.

“Amnesty International welcomes the panel’s report, which confirms that Nigerian army and police shot peaceful protesters at the Lekki Tollgate on 20 October, 2020,” the statement reads.

“The panel’s findings reveal the truth about what happened at Lekki Tollgate and contradict the blatant denial by the Nigerian government that deadly force was used against peaceful #EndSARS protesters.

“A day after the crackdown, Amnesty International conducted its own on-the-ground investigation which confirmed that the Nigerian army and police killed at least 12 peaceful protesters in Lekki and Alausa, with evidence gathered from eyewitnesses, video footage and hospital reports.

Read also: Amnesty Int’l accuses Tigray forces of raping, robbing women

“A week later, Amnesty International was able to release a timeline of the shootings, which confirmed that Nigerian Army vehicles left a military base a short drive from the toll gate on the evening of the shootings and were present when the killings began shortly after.

“For the survivors and relatives of the dead, the judicial panel report findings are only the first step towards justice and restitution.

“President Buhari must act promptly to ensure that those found to be responsible for shooting and attacks on peaceful protesters are brought to justice in fair trial.

“Nigerian authorities must ensure access to justice and effective remedies, including adequate compensation, restitution, and guarantee of non-repetition to victims and their families.

“Authorities must also immediately and unconditionally release all #EndSARS protesters unlawfully detained since last year.

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