#EndSARS: Why We Won’t Rename Lekki Tollgate – Lagos Govt

The Lagos State Government has revealed its reason for rejecting one of the recommendations of the state Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters.

Naija News reports that the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel had in its report submitted to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recommended that the Lekki tollgate be renamed to the #EndSARS tollgate to commemorate the killings of unarmed protesters by security agents on October 20, 2020.

The panel also recommended that October 20 of every year should be made a “toll-free day” at the Lekki Tollgate and be called ‘EndSARS Nationality Day’ in honour of the victims of the shooting.

It suggested that a monument should be erected in memorial of the youths that died and those injured at the Lekki tollgate with their names inscribed on the structure.

However, the state government said it rejected the renaming of the Lekki tollgate because some residents were also killed in other parts of the state on October 20, 2020.

The Commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General of the state, Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), stated this in an interview on Arise News on Wednesday.

He submitted that a peace park will be built in the state to commemorate the peaceful protests against police brutality and human rights violations.

Onigbanjo, however, stated that the state government accepted the panel’s recommendation that October 20 of every year should be made a “toll-free day” at the Lekki Tollgate.

Earlier, Onigbanjo had disagreed with the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, over his comment that the state Judicial Panel of Inquiry was illegal.

The Commissioner submitted that the panel which was set up by the state government was in line with the directive of the National Executive Council (NEC).

He added that the NEC had directed state governments to set up judicial panels to investigate the cases of police brutality across the country.