LAGOS – Counsel to Lagos State government at the EndSARS panel of inquiry, Abiodun Owonikoko, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) has accused some members of the Justice Okwuobi panel of inquiry of bribery during the panel’s sittings.
Owonikoko, speaking on Arise Television on Thursday, also said that some members were not entitled to sit at the panel because they lacked the judicial competence to determine the issue that relates to the Lekki Toll Gate because they are protagonists.
While accusing the panel of bribery, the SAN said, “A victim was awarded N10 million and the first question she was asked was whether she wanted compensation she said no, but that she came on behalf of those who had cases to be assisted.
“In the report, the panel awarded her N10 million for trauma. There is a case of a woman before that panel that was awarded N10 million for an injury. She later claimed to have given part of the money to some members of the panel.
“The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) waded into the matter and it was not allowed to go into the public domain. Some victims who were said to be EndSARS victims that never testified were awarded N10 million or N15 million in compensation. I cannot take that report as authentic.
“The only people that you should compensate are those that appeared before the panel. Anything in that report as of now is not admissible before the law if they are to be sued for libel their evidence cannot be admissible in court
The lawyer also faulted the composition of the membership of the panel, stressing that some of them were not qualified to be members.
He said, “There are almost 40 material discrepancies in that report, including awarding financial compensations to people who were claimed to have died, who never died. They later came out to say that they did not die. How would you make that kind of mistake to award millions of naira to somebody, claiming that he has died? He was even a witness and in the report, they awarded him N15 million. What kind of report is that? The report is not good for Nigeria.
While making a case for the police he said, “How do you want those agencies that are neglected to feel in spite of the huge losses that they suffered? Unfortunately, this report didn’t take them into consideration? The police lost billions.
“I know of a particular man, 24 years old son of a police officer who was murdered before his mother. His mother came with a petition and his case was not mentioned in the report. No mention was made of any of the police victims that came to testify,” Owonikoko said.
source: independent ng
