NEWS
LAGOS ENDSARS PANEL REPORT: No Massacre at Lekki Toll Gate, FG Insists
The Federal Government insisted yesterday that there was no massacre at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos, contrary to the report of the panel set up by the Lagos State Government to investigate the incident which took place on October 20, 2020.
The Minister of Information & Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who stated this yesterday in response to the panel’s report, also described the report as a sham, arguing that the numerous errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies and omissions had rendered it a fable.
Mohammed, who spoke for the first time since the report was released on November 15, 2021, while he was away in Paris on official assignment, said the report is also questionable since its conclusions were not backed by any evidence.
He equally questioned the panel for ignoring the 57 innocent Nigerians, 37 policemen and six soldiers killed during the protests, wondering whether they were not Nigerians who deserved to be protected and defended.
Mohammed expressed disappointment that the panel threw away key ballistic expert testimony that soldiers did not use live-grade weapons on protesters at the Lekki Toll Gate but concluded without evidence that soldiers killed the protesters with weapons.
He also faulted the panel for contradicting itself by accepting the submission of a pathologist, Professor John Obafunwa, that only three of the bodies on which post-mortem were conducted were from Lekki and that only one had gunshot injury but went on to conclude that nine persons died of gunshot wounds at Lekki Toll Gate.
‘Panel report riddled with errors, speculations’
For these, Mohammed said: “Let me say that never in the history of any judicial panel in this country has its report been riddled with so many errors, inconsistencies, discrepancies,
“What is circulating in public space is simply a rehash of the unverified fake news that has been playing on social media since the incident of October 20, 2020.
“It is simply incredible that a judicial panel set up to investigate an incident has submitted a report laden with allegations, the same allegations it was set up to investigate in the first instance.
“Instead of sitting for all of one year, the panel could have just compiled social media ‘tales by moonlight’ on the incident and submitted, saving taxpayers’ funds and everyone’s time. That report is nothing but the triumph of fake news and the intimidation of a silent majority by a vociferous lynch mob.
“It is clear from the ongoing that the report of the panel in circulation cannot be relied upon because its authenticity is in doubt. Besides, the Lagos State government, being the convening authority, is yet to release any official report to the public. Neither has the panel done so.
“The cowardly leakage of an unsigned report to the public is not enough. Assuming the report in circulation bears any iota of genuineness, it is basic knowledge that the report of such a panel is of no force until the convening authority issues a White Paper and Gazette on it.
“It is, therefore, too premature for any person or entity to seek to castigate the Federal Government and its agencies or officials based on such an unofficial and unvalidated report.
‘No massacrein Lekki’
“There is absolutely nothing in the report that is circulating to make us change our stand that there was no massacre at Lekki on October 20, 2020. For us to change our stand, a well-investigated report of the incident that meets all required
standards and will withstand every scrutiny must be produced and presented to the public. “The report in circulation does not meet those requirements. We also appeal to the families of those allegedly killed in Lekki to speak out. It’s untenable to say some families did not come out because they are afraid. Any parent who is afraid to testify about the death of his or her child is not worth to be called a parent.
“We reject the notion that our soldiers and policemen massacred innocent Nigerians at Lekki on October 20, 2020. That conclusion is not supported by the weight of available evidence. Indictment for murder is a very serious issue that cannot be done on the basis of allegations and corroborations, as the panel did.
‘Report calculated to embarrass FG’
“Such allegations must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. The report in circulation is calculated to embarrass the Federal Government and its agencies without foolproof evidence.
“The Federal Government has never condoned the abuse of the rights of Nigerians by security agencies under any guise; hence it disbanded SARS and encouraged states to set up the panels to investigate reports of human rights abuses allegedly committed by the disbanded SARS’ personnel.
‘’The 37 policemen and six soldiers who died across the country during the #EndSARS protest are also Nigerians and should not be forgotten. Those who have engaged in premature celebration of the report in circulation should now go back and read it thoroughly and tell Nigerians whether it can pass any serious scrutiny.
“We have read some critical analysis of the report by a courageous few. One commentator, a lawyer, said it raised more questions than answers. Another commentator, a journalist, called it a ‘disgraceful report by a disgraceful panel’, saying it reported allegations instead of investigating the allegations. VN
Poland plans to ban mobile phones in all primary schools from next academic year under draft legislation approved by the government on Tuesday.
The proposal, which will now be submitted to parliament, would take effect on September 1, 2026.
In Poland, primary school education runs through the eighth grade.
The planned law would prohibit the use of mobile phones and other devices capable of recording audio or video during lessons and breaks.
The ban would apply to both public and private schools, the Education Ministry said.
Exceptions would be permitted when the use of a phone is required for teaching purposes, educational support, or for health and safety reasons.
Education Minister Barbara Nowacka said the measure is a response to calls from teachers for stricter rules on smartphone use in schools.
She said that more than half of Poland’s schools have already introduced similar restrictions on a voluntary basis.
The government also approved a package of measures aimed at strengthening child protection online, which must likewise be approved by parliament.
The proposals include tighter restrictions on minors’ access to websites containing pornography and measures designed to speed up the removal of illegal online material.
Under the plans, operators of adult-content websites would be required to verify users’ ages anonymously, without collecting browser data or personal information.
By Ubong Ukpong, Abuja
Following the defection of the former minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, the minority caucus has nominated Hon. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere as their new Leader.
Sixty one out of the 81 minority members of the House on Wednesday, Select Hon.
Ugochinyere as Reps Minority Leader Designate, awaiting the Speaker’s announcement of the Opposition’s Decision.From the documents sighted by our reporter, majority of the lawmakers of the minority parties cutting across the entire minority bloc, namely ADC, NDC, APP, PRP, LP, APGA, APM, ACCORD and SDP, and across tribal, religious and zonal political lines voluntarily settled for Ikenga as their preferred choice.
From available information, the lawmakers today submitted the official nomination of the new Minority Leader designate, Ikenga, to the Speaker in line with the tradition of the parliament, which is stated clearly under the new Rule Book of the House of Representatives, Order 7, Rule 7, which provides that members shall elect among themselves the Minority Leader to lead them.The lawmakers, who spoke anonymously, expressed confidence that the Speaker of the parliament, as an unbiased leader, will swiftly make the announcement so that the minority can have its leadership in the next few days, and the parliament can be fully constituted with the minority fully represented. The lawmakers said they have also settled for nominees to fill the vacant positions of Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Leader, with one of the positions already taken by an NDC member from the North West. After ongoing harmonisation, the remaining list will be sent to the Speaker within the next few days for announcement.
The lawmakers said they settled for Ikenga because of his excellent legislative record, three years out of his four-year term, during which he sponsored and moved over 40 bills, motions and petitions, in addition to his four years as Senior Adviser to the Senate President, all of which have established him as a qualified candidate for the job. They said that the power to choose rests with the majority of the minority members, and that power has now been exercised, adding that any sentimental arguments will not change the decision of the minority lawmakers, who have overwhelmingly settled for one of their own.
They noted that, in the past, Sen. Akpabio was elected Senate Minority Leader after only three weeks in parliament, and that many others have been elected to top parliamentary positions with fewer years of experience. They added that even when the PDP zoned the speakership to the South West for Mulikat, the lawmakers elected Tambuwal and Ihedioha; when the APC zoned the Senate Presidency to the North East, the senators elected Sen. Saraki and Ekweremadu; and Dogara was elected after the position had been tipped for the South West. Parliament, they stressed, is rooted in the principle of majority decision and not sentiment. The lawmakers said their choice of Ikenga, with three years of legislative experience for a four-year job, is more than enough.
From Aliyu Askira, Kano
The Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State has withdrawn the licences of all private schools within its jurisdiction following allegations that a teacher sexually abused four female pupils.
The decision was announced by the Education Councillor, Abdullahi Wakili, who said it followed a review meeting aimed at strengthening school oversight and addressing safety and moral concerns in the area.
Wakili explained that the council chairman, Tijjani Amiru Bilyaminu, has directed all private school proprietors to appear before a screening committee for fresh assessment before they can resume operations.
The action comes after the closure of Al-Hadeed Private School in the Inusawa area of Ungogo, where a teacher popularly known as Uncle Kamal was accused of abusing four underage pupils reportedly from the same family.
The suspect has been arraigned before a magistrate court in the Nomansland area of Kano on rape charges. The court ordered that he be remanded in custody and adjourned the case to June 9, 2026.
Authorities said the sweeping measure is intended to restore public confidence in private schools and ensure the safety of children across the local government.
“Our schools must be safe havens, not places of fear,” Wakili stated.
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