One of the youth representatives on the Lagos judicial panel on police brutality and human rights abuse, Rinu Oduala, has withdrawn from the panel.
The panel was set up in the wake of the #EndSARS protests in Lagos which culminated in a deadly incident at Lekki toll gate on October 20, 2020.
Ms Oduala was sworn in as youth representative on the panel alongside Temitope Majekodunmi.
In a statement on Friday, she said she was stepping down from the panel because she could not be part of a “cover-up”.
Oduala, Majekodunmi and a few others have been critical of the panel’s decision to return control of the Lekki toll plaza to Lekki Concession Company.
Oduala said: “My stand on the reopening on the toll gate remains clear; the state government and the private organisation which operates the toll have not been cleared of collusion with elements allegedly deployed by the federal government to target Nigerian citizens on home soil during a time of peace, without provocation.
“Justice has not been served, and as a representative of the Nigerian citizenry, my only recourse is to stay the course of justice. Let me be clear: I chose to honour the invitation to represent my peers and to stand as an example that any Nigerian has the right to demand accountability of elected government officials and that our institutions, however flawed, can still deliver justice.
“What I will not do is be part of a cover-up. I am proud that I took the invitation because some of the successes the panel has recorded so far have been incredibly powerful for the people.
“For the first time, SARS victims have had the opportunity to be truly seen and heard by the government, by the public, and by the system that allowed them to be victims in the first place.”
Oduala said although the panel achieved “partial wins”, they are not sufficient, owing to the fact that the government has not acknowledged its failings.
