By Segun Awofadeji
Following the #EndSARS protests by Nigerian youths against the highhandedness and brutality by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force, the Bauchi State Governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, yesterday inaugurated a Judicial Panel of Inquiry to probe cases of human rights abuses.
Inaugurating the panel at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Bauchi, the governor said the panel was set up to address violation of citizens’ rights in the state.
According to him, in the terms of reference, the panel is to receive complaints, petitions from members of the public, identify the culprits and proffer recommendations to the state government.
Mohammed, who stated that the panel is to submit its report within six months, promised that the government would implement its recommendations and prosecute the erring police officers.
The panel has the following members: Justice Habibu Idris Shall (rtd), a High Court Judge) as chairman; CP Hamisu Makama (rtd) member; Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Bauchi State chapter, Jibrin S. Jibrin member; Civil Society Groups in Bauchi State and representative of National Human Right Commission Bauchi State Office (NHRC).
Others are representative of FIDA, Bauchi State Office as member; Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Bauchi State as member; representative of Jama’atul Nasrul Islam (JNI) Bauchi State chapter as member; representative of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Bauchi State as member; representative of National Council of Women Society, state chapter (NCWS) as member; representative of National Youth Council of Nigeria Bauchi State as member; representative of NACCIMA, Bauchi State as member; representative of Miyetti Allah Kautel Hore, Bauchi State as member, and representative of Miyetti Allah MACBAN as member, while representative of the state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice will serve as secretary, among other members.
The governor urged members of the committee to bring their wealth of knowledge and experience in the discharge of their assignment.
