#EndSARS report: Areas that affect federal govt will be addressed – Adesina

By RONKE IDOWU

Presidential aide, Femi Adesina has said that the Federal Government will only address areas within the White Paper report of the Lagos Judicial Panel on Police Brutality that concerns it, as the date for the official submission draws near.

Adesina, on Monday, during an interview on Channels Television’s Breakfast Programme, Sunrise Daily said this while explaining steps which the Federal Government will take in handling the situation.

“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 in nature will be considered. There are some things that would be Federal in nature, the Federal Government would tackle that but things that are state in nature, the state government will handle.

“There is an Attorney General of the Federation who will advise and the needful would be done,” Adesina said.

The presidential spokesperson, however, said he is not aware if some states that have completed their inquiry have so far submitted their reports to the Federal Government.

“I am not quite sure of that, but I know that areas that would affect the Federal Government will be looked into by the Federal Government.”

Speaking on the idea behind the setting up of the probe panel, Mr Adesina said that the Federal Government did not give a directive for their set-up but it was just “an idea” suggested to the state government.

“It couldn’t have been a directive because the Federal Government doesn’t have the power. It was just an idea,” he said.

“US Expects Responses”

Meanwhile, the report of the panel of inquiry established by the Lagos State government to look into the events that took place at the Lekki Toll Gate in October 2021 has become of international interest following a leak of the memo which indicted security operatives.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during during his visit to Nigeria last week, said the U.S. expects steps that would show accountability.

“We anticipate and look to the state and federal governments’ response to the findings and expect these to include steps that show accountability and address the grievances of the victims and their families,” Blinken said.

President Muhammadu Buhari in response said the Federal Government will allow the system to exhaust itself, and will, therefore, wait for pronouncements from state governments that set up panels to probe police brutality in the country. (Channels TV)