EndSARS Report: SERAP Takes Legal Action Against President Buhari

• In a very rare move, legal action has been taken against Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari
• The legal action was taken by a civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 116 concerned Nigerians
• SERAP in a suit filed against the president also asked the court to make an order for the arrest of suspects indicted in the #EndSARS report

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on Friday, November 26, filed a suit against President Muhammadu Buhari over the recent report by the Lagos judicial panel of inquiry on police brutality.

SERAP in the suit filed alongside 116 other Nigerians prayed the court to compel the president to take immediate actions towards the arrest and prosecution of police and military personnel indicted in the report.

Details of the suit before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja was sent to Legit.ng as a statement by SERAP.

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In its suit numbered, FHC/ABJ/CS/1482/2021, the organisation also called for justice and effective remedies for victims, including adequate compensation.

SERAP argued that delivering justice through the #ENDSARS would improve the respect for Nigerians' rights, the rule of law and in turn boost the people's confidence in government and its institutions.

Major among its prayers in the suit is SERAP's call for the protection of protesters across Nigeria and a failure to bring to justice those indicted for the shooting of peaceful protesters.

The suit read in part:

“The failure to promptly arrest, and bring to justice those suspected to be responsible for the shooting of peaceful protesters, and to ensure access to justice and effective remedies for victims and their families amounts to a travesty of justice, as justice delayed is justice denied.”

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Also joined as a respondent in the suit is the attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami

The suit was filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare and Opeyemi Owolabi.

It also reads:

“The Buhari administration has the constitutional responsibility to allow victims of human rights violations to find out the truth in regard to acts committed, to know who the perpetrators of such acts are, and to obtain justice and adequate compensation.”

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

Lai Mohammed speaks on the leaked Lagos panel report on police brutality

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the federal government had rejected the details of the leaked Lagos panel report.

The rejection was made public by Nigeria's minister of information, culture and tourism, Lai Mohammed, after his return from Paris, France.

Mohammed said that the FG doubts the authenticity of the report and rejects in its entirety that soldiers and police officers of Nigeria carried out extrajudicial killings at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.

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US government reacts to the submission of the Lagos panel report

The reaction by the presidency followed a statement by the government of the United States of America over the panel's report.

The US in its reaction said its government welcomes the submission of the panel's report to the Lagos state governor.

It also said that the US government looks forward to a response by the Lagos state on the new report by the panel.

Source: Legit.ng