BY AGENCY REPORTER
The Oyo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and Other Related Matters, otherwise called #EndSARS Panel, has indicated that it would soon commence deliberations on the final report on the petitions that it received.
This follows the conclusion of its public sittings on the 163 cases brought before it on the violent #EndSARS protest against police brutality in the state last October.
The panel had, after its sitting on Tuesday, announced the conclusion of public hearings on all matters following 63 sittings spanning over six months.
The Panel said it would begin the process of reviewing each petition through technical meetings and deliberations, which would lead to the final report to be submitted to the state government for implementation.
The 10-man panel was inuaugurated by Governor Seyi Makinde on 10th November to, among others, receive and investigate police brutality on the latest extrajudicial killings, and to evaluate evidence presented or/and other surrounding circumstances.
It was also mandated to draw conclusions as to the validity or otherwise of the complaints and to recommend compensation and other remedial measures where appropriate.
The Chairman of the panel, Justice Bolajoko Adeniji (retd.), who declared the public sittings, held at the House of Chiefs, House of Assembly Complex, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan closed, said the report would be submitted to the relevant authority in due course.
Adeniji, a former Chief Judge of Oyo State, said, “It should be recalled that there were protests nationwide against police brutality, tagged #EndSARS, sometime in October 2020.
“The youths saw the protest as a means of expressing their bitter experiences at the hands of the Nigerian Police Force. The #EndSARS protesters presented demands to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“Consequent upon the above, the Federal Government directed that all state governments should set up a judicial panel of inquiry to look into petitions submitted by alleged victims of police brutality, victimisation and unlawful killings in the various states.
“Consequent upon the directive of the Federal Government, Governor Seyi Makinde set up a 10-man committee to form the judicial panel of inquiry in Oyo State.
“The panel was inaugurated on Tuesday, 10th of November, 2020 to receive and investigate police brutality on the latest extrajudicial killings; to evaluate evidence presented or/and other surrounding circumstances.
“And to draw conclusions as to the validity of the complaints (and to) recommend compensation and other remedial measures where appropriate.
“The panel’s inaugural meeting was held on Wednesday, 22nd of November, 2020 at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Justice. The purpose of this meeting was to set out the modus operandi of the panel and all other relevant logistics.
“Other and further meetings were also held on 23rd of December, 2020; 11th of January, 2021 and 19th of January, 2021 respectively at the same venue.
“The first sitting of the panel came up on 26th of January, 2021 at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan, having received 163 petitions. The petitions have been completed as of today, Tuesday, 13th July, 2021 to the glory of God.
“The work has been very strenuous and tasking but the panel members and all the stakeholders that are the petitioners, witnesses, police legal representatives, counsel, especially the pro-bono lawyers, news media men were all up to the task. The panel’s report will be submitted to the relevant authority in due course.”
