The Presidency has said that reports by states’ judicial panels on police brutality and extrajudicial killings will not be submitted to the Federal Government.
Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said this when he featured on Channels Television’s ‘Sunrise Daily’ breakfast programme.
Last week, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters submitted a 309- page report to the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
In the report which was leaked, Justice Doris Okuwobi-led panel noted that at least nine persons were confirmed dead at the Lekki toll plaza, during the ENDSARS protests of 2020.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, who received the report, established a committee to bring forward a White Paper within the next two weeks.
Speaking on the television programme on Monday, Adesina, who was asked whether the state would submit the reports to the Federal Government, said, ““Not to the Federal Government. Under the law, Federal Government has no power to en-panel a probe by the states.
“What would happen is that when the state comes up with pronouncements on that panel reports, that would then be of interest to the Federal Government; it is not as if they would bring it to the Federal Government.”
Adesina said the Federal Government would then look into areas of interest in the report and address the areas.
“What would happen is that when the states come up with pronouncements on that panel report, that would then be of interest to the Federal Government.
“Definitely, when the reports come out, the ones that are Federal im nature will be considered. There are some things that would be Federal in Nature, the Federal Government would tackle that but things thay are state im Nature, the State government will handle.
“There is an Attorney General of the Federation who will advise and the needful would be done.”
