Segun Awosanya, a social media activist, popularly known as Segalink has given reasons why the Lagos State judicial panel of inquiry and restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and Lekki Toll Gate Incident approved the reopening of the Lekki toll gate.
Segalink, a members of the judicial panel on Sunday via his official Twitter handle, argued that “there are always other routes to ensure justice without becoming the demons we fight. We need not make life harder for others just to prove a point”.
Recall that the Lagos State panel led by its Chairman, Justice Doris Okuwobi, during its proceedings on Saturday gave a ruling allowing the Lekki Concession Company (LCC) Ltd to repossess the Lekki toll gate.
Justice Okuwobi sitting with four members of the panel listened to arguments for and against the application made by counsel to the LCC Ltd, Demola Seriki for the re-opening of the facility. It’s the 4th time the LCC is making the application.
The four members who sat with Justice Okuwobi are Segun Awosanya (popularly known as Segalink), Oluwatoyin Odusanya (Director, Citizen’s Right), DIG Taiwo Lakanu ( representing the police) and Lucas Koyejo (from the National Human Rights Commission).
Following outrage over the ruling, Segalink came out to defend the decision of the panel he is a member of.
“It is futile making logical sense when emotions are running wild. Where in the world do you deploy sentiments & injustice to obtain justice? Is the panel an opinion panel or a judicial panel? Have you taken out time to read the ruling? Did this nullify the cases? Is this the end?
“Those manipulating you presents you with someone to hate and you march on like zombies to throw tantrums. How does granting access for assessment of damage & initiating repairs a vote against the people when the panel’s forensic team are done at the site? Why lock it down?
“How many scientists do you find staying perpetually by the microscope without leaving to work on his findings? Recall that people work in the establishment too? We all use that road. Imaging locking the whole road under claims of an ongoing investigation without the need to visit.
“There are always other routes to ensure justice without becoming the demons we fight. We need not make life harder for others just to prove a point. Everyone is entitled to fairness, equity & presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Investigation is done, cases are ongoing.
“Imagine shutting down police and Army in the name of an ongoing investigation. This to me is not in the spirit of justice. Read the ruling and if it errs on the ground of Law, Justice and Equity then we can look into that. Thus, far there’s no such claim.
“Who will you call when armed robbers strikes after shutting down those instituted to curb this due to claims of investigation especially when it can work concurrently with their operation? Think deeply about those misleading you to think you have been betrayed. You’re being used.
“Think for a bit if we agreed with the obviously biased group seeking to use the panel to settle an old score with LCC, you don’t think LCC will appeal such decision and still take back their property having established that we no longer have anything to do there?
“Where does that leave the cases of alleged victim before the panel? Do you ever think any institution of state will ever appear or honor the summons of a tainted panel? Think while it is still legal. Justice must be fair to all. I have no personal interest in this,” Segalink tweeted.
Meanwhile, dissenters made up of four members of the Lagos State judicial panel of inquiry and restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and Lekki Toll Gate Incident have given reasons why the toll gate must not be reopened yet.
The dissenters, who include Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Patience Udoh, a lawyer and human rights activist, and the two representatives of the youth, Rinuola Oduola and Temitope Majekodunmi, argued that the toll gate should remain shut and under the purview of the panel until full investigations and hearings are concluded.
However, they were not allowed to present their dissent before they were shouted down at Saturday’s hearing and the panel led by Justice Doris Okuwobi gave owners of the Lekki toll gate plaza, Lekki Concession Company (LCC) the permission to repossess the plaza.
In a statement, two of the dissenters, Rinu Oduala and Temitope Majekodunmi, who are the youth reps at the panel, they argued that LCC failed to provide information, which may be useful for investigations.
The statement reads: “The Youth Reps at the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry and restitution for victims of SARS related abuses & Lekki Toll Gate Incident will like to formally express our dissent to the Order allowing for the repossession of Lekki Toll Gate.
“As indicated by the provisions of the Panel’s Rules 2020 – Rule 6(1&2), every member of the Panel has a legal duty to provide written contributions to any report to be issued in response to any application or matter brought before the Panel.
“We’d like to remind the public this panel was set up on our 5 For 5 demands during the nationwide protests against police brutality. So any decision without considering the opinions of the Youth Reps reflected in the rulings will be in violation of Rules setting up this Panel
“We have made efforts to communicate our position on the application by LCC to take repossession of the Lekki Toll Gate to the Chairlady as required by the Rules of the Panel but our dissent wasn’t reflected in the ruling.
“We note that one of the primary obligations of this Panel is to ensure impartiality throughout hearings for victims and contribute to fair, effective, efficient conduct of its hearings and more importantly, for voices of victims not be silenced in the course of this assignment.
“With respect to the issue, brought by LCC through its counsel – Mr. Demola Seriki, the LCC is requesting an order of this Panel to allow it take repossession of the Lekki Toll Gate.
“We must highlight clearly, what is of critical importance to ensure there is a full & thorough investigation into the Lekki Toll Gate incidence; ensure justice for all victims; & that any & every one found culpable is identified & recommended for appropriate action under the law.
“We understand from the Forensic Report submitted by the expert employed by the panel, LCC management has, despite requests, failed to provide information, which include access to servers; who ordered the extraction of CCTV footage; date & time of extraction of the footage from the CCTV; method used for the extraction as well as such other information which may be useful for purposes of the forensic examination & report.
“None of these have been provided by LCC and so it is impossible to conclude that investigations are over. It is therefore imperative that the Lekki Toll Gate management should not allowed to repossess the toll gate until full investigations are concluded.
“This is especially important as victims of the Lekki Toll Incident are yet to be heard and the public is still in the dark on the full details of the Incidence.
“Based on these fact, we are of the considered view that the Lekki Toll Gate remain shut and under the purview of the Panel until full investigations and hearings are concluded by this Panel.
“We do not have any intention to obstruct the rulings of the panel. We only want our dissent to be on record. We are committed to ensuring justice for victims”.