The Lagos State Government has requested the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to investigate the allegation that Alhaji Tajudeen Disu, Managing Director of Lekki Worldwide Limited, was killed by mobile policemen.
Disu was killed during last year’s civil disturbances at that the Lekki Free Trade Zone
Leaders of the Okunraye community where Disu was murdered on October 12, 2015, had claimed that the late Disu was killed by a stray bullet from mobile policemen attached to the area, an allegation denied by the police.
The state government’s request was contained in a statement signed by Steve Ayorinde, Commissioner for Information and Strategy. According to the statement, the state government over the weekend released a White Paper on the report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into causes of the civil disturbances.
The state government added the statement, accepted most of the recommendations of the tribunal, which included a directive asking that the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase be requested through the State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, to take over the investigation into the killing of Disu.
The directive, according to Ayorinde, became necessary because of the need to resolve the mystery of Disu’s murder.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had on October 22, 2015, constituted a six-member Tribunal of Inquiry headed by retired judge of the Lagos High Court, Justice Adesuyi Olateru-Olagbegi to inquire into the remote and immediate causes surrounding the public disorder at the Lekki Free Trade Zone on October 12, 2015, which resulted in the killing of Disu.
The State Government, in the White Paper, also directed the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Cooperatives to ensure that all outstanding compensation issues are resolved as soon as possible.
The ministry was similarly directed to ensure that the Resettlement Committee is reconstituted in line with the provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding to enable it to perform satisfactorily.
The government further directed the constitution of a peace and security committee comprising of the Police and representatives of investors of the affected villages to receive complaints from any party in the LFTZ. The committee, added the government, will also have the responsibility of taking action to resolve issues referred to it as spelt out in the Memorandum of Understanding.
In addition, the state government directed the Lands Bureau to give priority to the preparation of Certificate of Occupancy of excised land.
According to the White Paper, the State Government accepted the recommendation of the Tribunal that under no circumstance should payments, irrespective of how insignificant it is, be paid in cash, adding that all payments should be by cheque, duly receipted by the payee in a format that carries the said payee’s name, picture, and signature.
The government further accepted the recommendation of the Tribunal that there should be an effective mode of communication and dissemination of information amongst all inhabitants of the LFTZ and directed the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs through the Special Adviser for Communities and Communication to create a platform for regular dissemination of information.
The State Government also noted the recommendation of members of the Tribunal on proper stock taking to identify communities that have not been resettled or given possession of land excised to them, and thereafter directed the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives in conjunction with Lands Bureau and the State Valuation Office to identify such communities and complete the resettlement process.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.