Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Independent Investigation Panel on Allegations of Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other Units of the Nigerian Police Force (IIP-SARS) is to resume sitting today. This is contrary to the insinuations in some quarters that the panel has fizzled out.
A statement at the weekend by the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages Department, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Ms. Fatimah Mohammed, said that the panel has gathered more momentum preparatory to resumption of sitting and is determined to continue to do justice to the total of 295 petitions it received.
Mohammed said: “On the aforementioned date, the 11-Member panel chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) will listen to final written and oral addresses in eight petitions, which signals the conclusion of the cases and adjournment for the panel’s report on them.”
She noted that although the panel did not sit for about six months following some logistics challenges, but it had within the first four months when it commenced sitting concluded 55 complaints while 75 are in progress in different stages.
“It sat last in March this year and had hoped to continue sitting after it declared two weeks Easter break but that did not happen, up until the set date on Monday, due to logistics challenges,” said Mohammed, who confirmed that “of the 55 concluded cases 22 were either struck out by the panel or withdrawn by the petitioners.”
She also disclosed that 33 petitions were ready for the payment of compensations including other legal and administrative remedies in accordance with the relevant laws.
Mohammed said: “So far the panel has brought hope to families, survivors and victim of human rights violations by the police given the fact that justice has already been served in a number of cases, thus rekindling people’s hope that the government indeed has not abandoned its constitutional responsibility of ensuring a safe and secure environment that will enable the protection and enforcement of human rights by the NHRC and other relevant agencies of government including the police.
“Little wonder many Nigerians are hailing the federal government for setting up the panel and directing state governments to replicate similar panel in their various jurisdictions and interestingly some of the states have concluded their sittings.”
The IIP-SARS was set up by the federal government in November 2020 following the “EndSARS Protests,” which was triggered by nationwide allegations of police brutality, including unlawful detention, extra-judicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearance, among others.
A similar panel that was established by the Commission in 2018 and headed by the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Tony Ojukwu, had earlier submitted its report to the President, which led to some of the ongoing reforms in the Nigerian Police like the scrapping of SARS which was allegedly notorious for human rights violations in the country.
