The Lagos State Government has announced that it has secured the release of 107 people who were involved in the #EndSARS protests across the state from police facilities and correctional centres in the state.
This follows the legal advice by the Lagos State Attorney-General exonerating 253 #EndSARS protest suspects from the violence with the looting and destruction of public and private assets across the state.
This was disclosed in a statement that was issued on Saturday, November 14, 2020, by the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD), where it said that the release warrants from Ogba Magistrate and Yaba Magistrate Courts respectively, based on the order of the Office of the Attorney-General clearing the suspects.
The statement added that the directive from the state’s attorney general made it possible for Office of the Public Defender to secure the release of 8 #EndSARS protest suspects from Panti Police Station, 59 from Medium Correctional Centre and 40 from Kirikiri Maximum Correctional Centre.
The statement also partly reads, “The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender would ensure that all suspects detained and exonerated by the Office of the State Attorney-General regain their freedom as OPD will visit all the Police detention centres and Correctional Centres in the State to effect their release accordingly.’’
Nairametrics had reported that the Lagos State Government had directed the immediate release of 253 persons arrested by the police for criminal offences in connection with the #EndSARS protests in the state, due to non-disclosure of a prima facie case against them by the police force.
The Attorney General of the state in his statement explained that the Nigeria Police forwarded 40 case files to the Directorate of Public Prosecution for Legal Advice, between 4th and 5th of November, 2020, in respect of the 361 persons arrested for criminal offences.
The Lagos State Office of the Public Defender (OPD), acting on the legal advice issued by the Office of the Lagos State Attorney-General exonerating 253 #EndSARS protest suspects, has secured the release of some youths from Police facilities and Correctional Centres in the State. pic.twitter.com/0ngygEUmQE
— The Lagos State Govt (@followlasg) November 14, 2020
