President Muhammadu Buhari has revealed why the federal government is yet to implement recommendations by the Lagos state judicial panel report on the Lekki tollgate incident and other states’ EndSARS panel reports.
Speaking at a meeting with United States secretary of state, Antony Blinken, in Abuja, on Thursday, Buhari said he will await the steps taken by governors before the federal government takes action on the reports of the judicial panels of inquiry set up by states to investigate incidents of police brutality.
Rivers, Delta, Ogun states, among others, had earlier submitted their reports, but the Lagos panel presented its report to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Monday. In its findings, the Lagos panel said security operatives “killed unarmed protesters” who had gathered at the Lekki tollgate.
A statement released by Special Assistant to the President on Media and Pubicity, Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as saying that state governments will have to take steps on the reports of their panels, before the federal government acts on the recommendations.
“So many state governments are involved, and have given different terms of reference to the probe panels.
“We at the federal have to wait for the steps taken by the states, and we have to allow the system to work. We can’t impose ideas on them. Federal government has to wait for the reaction of the states,” he said.
On his part, the US secretary of state described the report of the #EndSARS probe panel as “democracy in action”, and said he looks forward to necessary reforms within security agencies.
