Human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), has faulted the supposed discovery of a video camera recorder by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the Lekki toll plaza on Sunday.
Adegboruwa said this in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Usurpation of powers of the panel of inquiry on SARS abuses’.
Fashola, had while conducting a tour of the toll plaza alongside governors and ministers from the South-West, supposedly discovered a camera at the toll plaza five days after the shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters by soldiers.
However, Adegboruwa said since the state government had established an independent panel of inquiry to investigate what transpired at the tollgate, the panel should be allowed to do its work.
The statement read in part, “Since the panel has been vested with jurisdiction over the Lekki toll plaza, I verily believe that it is illegal for anyone else to conduct any visit to the said Lekki toll plaza in the absence of and without the authority and consent of the panel.
“It was reported that in the course of the visit, the former governor of Lagos State and the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), discovered a hidden camera, which he took. This is a clear case of illegally tampering with exhibits that may become useful to the panel in the course of its assignment.
“I appeal to the Governor of Lagos State to allow the panel the full autonomy and independence that was promised at the time of inauguration. It is contempt of the panel for anyone to usurp the powers of the panel in the way that has been reported.”
Many Nigerians had taken to social media to express disbelief over Fashola’s discovery of the camera.
As of Monday morning, ‘Fashola’ and ‘Sherlock Holmes’ were trending on Twitter with many wondering how the minister discovered a camera at the toll plaza despite the burning of the tollgate and the cleaning of the area by officials of the Lagos Waste Management Authority.
