Youth representatives at the Lagos Judicial Panel probing the killing of EndSARS protesters at Lekki tollgate, Rinuola Oduola, has pulled out of the panel.
Oduola, who said that the panel was dubious, condemned the reopening Lekki tollgate when the state government and the private organisation operating the toll had not been cleared of collusion with “elements allegedly deployed by the federal govt to target citizens on home soil during a time of peace, without provocation.”
She announced her position in a post on her Twitter handle on Friday, February 12.
Part of the tweets read, “After going silent for a month, troll accounts dedicated to belittling my work & sowing doubt about my age & right to express myself as a citizen of Nigeria were reactivated.
“They targeted me by releasing fake tweets & turn the public against me. I fear for myself, my family, and my friends; for my future but so did the young people whose blood taints the Lekki Tollgate. It is from them I draw inspiration to continue my fight.
“May we all see the Nigeria we deserve. #EndSARS
“For anyone tired of hearing me demand better for my country: the only way to convince me to back down is to do your part to make Nigeria work. I will be doing mine, in the communities where it matters, with the tools at my disposal.
“I hope to spend the next few months reconnecting with these people, documenting their stories, and empowering the children and family of the deceased SARS victims who are not alive to fulfil their dreams.
“Some have lost their loved ones, many permanently disabled for life due to torture or bullet effects while others forever scarred from encounters with the Nigerian law enforcement agencies who are supposed to protect us.
“I have held the govt accountable even my life is threatened, & will continue to do so. There are trolls at every level that must be countered with facts and victims that are affected by the actions of this govt, even if they don’t have the words to articulate their suffering.
“I might be one woman, but there is so much I can do, outside of this cycle of hand wringing and lies, and I refuse to be manipulated into gaslighting the people and attaching my name to a rubberstamped and foregone conclusion.
“When calls for justice are subsumed by commercial concerns and vested interests, it calls into question the legitimacy and integrity of the entire affair & the impartiality of the proceedings.
“Without a final panel report or actionable steps, we are returning to the status quo. We must not forget the purpose of this panel: to address injustice and create accountability for the SARS brutality and for the heinous events on 20th October 2020.
“I will be stepping down from the Lagos Judicial Panel as it is now obvious that the government is only out to use us for performative actions.
“But at the end of the day, parties on the panel voted to reopen the toll, citing lost jobs as more important than justice for lost lives through a proceeding that didn’t form a proper quorum without the reps who represent the youth constituency that birthed the idea of the panel. I did not expect piecemeal acknowledgements and efforts to sabotage vital proceedings.
“On 6th February 2021, we were ambushed with votes to reopen the toll gates. I participated because I do not believe in silence. It is clear where my loyalties lie.”