The Federal Government’s investigative panel set up to probe allegations of rights violations by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force held its first sitting in Abuja on Wednesday.
The panel was inaugurated on behalf of the Federal Government by the National Human Rights Commission on October 21, 2020 in reaction to the recent #EndSARS protests and was expected tp turn in its report within six months.
Shortly after the ceremonial inaugural sitting, the 11-man panel, led by Justice Ibrahim Galadima, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, began the hearing of two petitions which were later adjourned for continuation of hearing.
Speaking at the ceremonial inaugural sitting, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), said the report of the panel would be implemented.
Malami, who was represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Dayo Apata (SAN), said, “Any person indicted for any criminal offence shall be duly prosecuted.
“Let me assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is committed to its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property,” he added.
Apata said the report of the previous presidential panel on SARS submitted to the AGF office on October 19, 2020 with the list of SARS operatives indicted and recommended for prosecution was receiving attention.
He said the AGF and his state counterparts had already scheduled a meeting on how to fashion out the strategy for the prosecution of the cases, most of which he said involved state offences.
The 1st Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr John Aikpoko-Martins, who represented the NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, charged the panel “to extend its terms of reference to cover ongoing alleged rights violations.”
He cited the allegation that the Nigeria Immigration Service on Monday prevented a promoter of the #EndSARS movement, Modupe Odele, from travelling abroad.
“Then the alleged killings in Oyigbo. This panel should have terms of reference that cover these cases,” he added.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, asked the panel to use any procedure it found convenient to carry out its investigations and arrive at substantial justice.
He added that the various relevant authorities, including the AGF office and the Police Service Commission, had started processing the various lists of SARS operatives recommended for prosecution, demotion or dismissal by the previous presidential panel which had submitted its report to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), in June 2019.
Meanwhile, the first petition to be heard by the panel was filed by a businessman, Mr Bello Akuboku, who said he was on July 22, 2019 hit by a stray bullet during the clash between the police and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (Shi’ites.)
Akuboku, who was led by a lawyer to the panel, Mr Frank Torrie, said an X-Ray of the affected part of his left arm carried out at the National Hospital showed that the bullet passed through his body and was not retained.
He said with much bleeding, he initially approached the Garki General Hospital where he claimed to meet a large number of persons who were also hit by stray bullets on the day of the incident.
He said the number of the bullet-wounded persons was so large that the Garki Hospital could not attend to him and advised him to approach the National Hospital, Abuja.
“When I got to the National Hospital, there were also some bullet wounded patients, but they were not much. But after about 30 minutes, the police brought a truckload of bullet-wounded patients,” he added.
Akuboku said he had to stay out of work which earns him at least a monthly income of N200,000, for two months to treat himself.
He attached the cost receipts and evidence of incurred treatment costs to his petition and admitted as exhibits by the panel on Wednesday.
He pleaded with the panel to award him compensation for the trauma he underwent as a result of the incident, cost of his treatment and the loss of job during the period of the treatment.”
The panel adjourned his case till November 15 to enable the police to respond.
PUNCH