Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed that an Uber driver Adedotun Clement, who was assaulted on October 20, 2021, during a rally to mark the one-year anniversary of the #EndSARS protest, be compensated with N5 million as ordered by a court.
Mr Sanwo-Olu stated this in a Twitter thread on Saturday, noting that he understands the impact that the legal battle has had on him.
This is coming after the state’s Ministry of Justice argued that the government was right to appeal the judgement.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Grace Alo, said during the hearing of the matter, the state government opposed the claims of the applicant on grounds of law and facts.
Alo said, “As is customary when a judgment is delivered against the State Government, the counsel handling the matter is enjoined to file an appeal (a right provided by the Constitution) along with an application to stay execution of the judgment in order to protect and reserve the rights available to the State Government under the law.”
However, Governor Sanwo-Olu said he was committed to upholding the rule of law.
His tweet reads, “Good evening Lagos, as governor, I’m committed to upholding the rule of law and protecting citizens’ rights with empathy and authority.
“I recently became aware of the case involving Mr. Clement Adedotun and the judgement by the Federal High Court, and I understand the impact this legal battle has had on him.
“After reviewing Mr. Clement’s case, I’ve directed the Honorable Attorney General to set up a meeting and pay him the compensation awarded by the court.”
According to the governor, although the state government has appealed the ruling, “I’ve interceded in this instance in the interest of the public good, and requested that the state’s Attorney General comply with the court’s ruling.”
