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#EndSARS: Lagos Governor, Sanwo-Olu Invites Celebrities Falz, Mr Macaroni, Seun Kuti, Others For Healing, Peace Walk

Sanwo-Olu, during a press briefing at the Government House in Alausa, Ikeja on Tuesday said he will be leading the peace walk to herald the healing of the land.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has revealed plans to organise a peace walk in December 2021 in commemoration of the #EndSARS movement.  

Sanwo-Olu, during a press briefing at the Government House in Alausa, Ikeja on Tuesday said he will be leading the peace walk to herald the healing of the land.

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He further extended an open invitation to youths, civil society groups, journalists, students and other stakeholders to join him in the peace walk. 

Notable among the invitees are celebrity campaigners of the #EndSARS movement which include popular musician, Folarin Falana (Falz); comedian, Debo Adebayo alias Mr Macaroni; Seun Kuti, son of legendary singer Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Dele Farotimi, Temitope Majekodunmi, and Segun Awosanya.  

He said, “Dear Lagosians, this month of December, I will be leading a walk of peace to herald the healing of our land, let me, therefore, use this occasion to extend an open invitation to all of our youths, members of the diplomatic board, civil society groups, gentlemen of the press, media and other stakeholders to join me. 

“I would want Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz, I would want Mr Macaroni, Debo Adebayo, activist lawyer, Dele Farotimi, Temitope Majekodunmi, Segun Awosanya, Adetoun who draws me every day, I would want the legendary son of Fela, Seun Kuti.

“I would also want the Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu and the commander of the RRS, CSP Yinka Egbeyemi to join me in this historic mark for our dear Lagos. No one will build this city for us. Let us show the world who we are, no foreign media will change negatively our narrative, we are Lagosians, a people of great renown driven by the irrepressible spirit of Lagos.”

A couple of weeks ago, the Lagos State panel of inquiry on #EndSARS submitted its report to the state government, in which it clearly found that the Nigerian Army and police fired live bullets at peaceful protesters at the Lekki Tollgate last year.

It also concluded that the “deliberate absence of officers of the Nigerian Army who were present at the Lekki Toll Gate and who were summoned by the Panel was a calculated attempt to conceal material evidence from the Panel”.

The panel was inaugurated on October 19, 2020, to look into complaints of citizens against human rights abuses by the police.

Following the incident at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020, the Terms of Reference of the Panel was expanded to cover that incident.

The Panel sat for well over one year and took testimonies of petitioners, witnesses, experts and lawyers.

The submission of the panel that there was indeed a massacre has since attracted public outrage, with Nigerians and the international community calling for the prosecution of the offending officers. 

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described the report as "fake and full of errors" while a member of the panel, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has alleged threats to life and intimidation over his role in the panel. 

Also, Kamsiyochukwu Ibe, who took an active part in the nationwide protest last year, was attacked for testifying before the #EndSARS judicial panel in Lagos.

Some other persons in support of the panel report and have called for the prosecution of perpetrators have also alleged that they are being threatened.

The United States, United Nations, European Union, Amnesty International and several other groups around the world have all called for persons indicted by the panel report to be punished for their role in the killing of peaceful demonstrators at Lekki in October 2020.

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#EndSARS