The United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has said America is keenly waiting for the federal and Lagos State governments to take action on the report of the judicial panel of inquiry over the alleged killing of #EndSARS protesters by soldiers and policemen at the Lekki toll gate on the night of October 20, 2020.
WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and other matters confirmed that nine persons were killed by soldiers and police officers at the Lekki tool plaza during the October 20, 2020.
During a meeting with the President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Aso Rock, Abuja, Blinken, had said America “anticipate and look to the state and the Federal Government’s response to the findings, and expect those to include steps that ensure accountability and address the grievances of the victims and their families.”
On Friday, the US Secretary of State met with members of the civil society in Abuja, reiterating that the US’s demand for justice.
Blinken told the CSOs: “We saw the conclusion this week of the independent Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry’s work and the transmission of its final report. And this is clearly an important step toward accountability for the killings and other abuses alleged to have been committed by security forces during the EndSARS protests, a year ago.
“So, we’re very much looking forward to the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government and other state governments taking measures to address the alleged abuses, as well as the grievances of victims and their families.
“Reports are critical, but what counts as much and even more is whether there’s action that follows those reports.”
Meanwhile, a petition by Reno Omokri, a former Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan, on the change.org platform received 76,420 signatures on Friday.
The petition, titled, ‘A Petition to The International Criminal Court to Arraign Muhammadu Buhari for Crimes Against Humanity’ was filed on Wednesday and directed at the International Criminal Court.
The petition sought to have Buhari tried and imprisoned by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity believed to have happened at Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.
Omokri wrote in the petition: “Following the murders of these protesters, the Buhari administration denied that the incident ever occurred. They threatened those, like myself, who insisted, with proof, that this massacre happened. The government even threatened to jail people who called for those behind the murders to be brought to book.”