BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
THE Osun State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Related Extra Judicial Killings has commenced sitting on the various petitions and submissions brought before it by members of the public.
The panel said it received five different petitions submitted by victims of police brutality and other human rights violations.
The Chairman of the Panel, Justice Akin Oladimeji (retd), however, told petitioners that panel members were neither prophets nor seers that would be able to see what the ordinary eyes could not perceive, adding that petitioners must demonstrate, clearly, how and where they suffered injuries or losses.
He said, “We are neither prophets nor seers that can see what the ordinary eyes cannot perceive. Every petitioner who has suffered injury or loss wants damages or compensation to be paid to him. This panel is empowered to make recommendation on award of such damages or compensation but we cannot do so unless you come and demonstrate to us how and where you sustained injury or loss.
“It is the fact and evidence that you place before us that we must use to assess the injury victims have suffered in the hands of SARS in each of the cases, and the damages claimed by the petitioners or any other parties as the case may be.
“These are the things that will assist us in our duties, so that we will not therefore appear to be awarding arbitrarily low or high damages or compensation in the eye of the reasonable man.”
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had on Thursday 22nd of October, 2020, inaugurated a 13-man panel with a mandate to unravel all matters related to police brutality, disbanded officers and men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), among other related cases.
According to Oyetola, the panel has six months to entertain and complete all the findings, investigations and cases filed before it.
The panel began sitting on Thursday after 14 days of its inuaguration. At the Council of Obas’ Chamber, Finance Building, Government Secretariat, Abeere, Osogbo, the permanent venue of the sitting, the panel called the petitioners, but only three were present out of the five petitions received. The other two petitioners were absent.
Two of the three petitioners brought their lawyers while the other one did not come with a lawyer. It was revealed that one of the petitioners did not also include his claims in the petition.
Delivering his inaugural sitting speech, Justice Oladimeji confirmed that the panel had since its inauguration received five petitions and submissions from members of the public.
He noted that the panel was fully prepared to deliver the statutory mandate conferred on it to ensure justice, fairness and equity in all the cases before it.
The retired High Court Judge, who said the mandate of the panel was to investigate the brutality of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) against some members of the public, said the panel would not act as a regular court of law where law was strictly applied to cases but rather, function as a fact finding panel.
“This panel is not a regular court of law where law is strictly applied to cases but rather, a fact finding panel. Therefore, it is the duty of every petitioner and in fact all parties who present petitions and defence before this panel to bring all facts and evidence in support of their cases before the panel,” he said.
The Chairman of the panel urged the petitioners to be truthful and honest in whatever they bring before the panel, noting that the panel could only work on emperical facts.
He said, “In presenting your cases before this panel, we urge the parties and their witnesses to be truthful and honest, as righteousness exalts not only the individual but also the nation and the world at large.
“We are your fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and children and friends; do not be afraid to come and tell us your stories. If you do not want to be heard in public, we shall make arrangement to hear you without the public.
“We are here to protect the interest of every party who has suffered injury in the hands of SARS, including the dead on whose behalf petitions were filed by their legal or personal representatives.”
“We are prepared to visit locus in cuo, i.e places of incidents including mortuaries, graves and graveyards or suspected ones, if need be,” he stated.
The chairman later adjourned the sitting till Saturday for further hearing on the petitions.
