No less than than 101 petitions have been received by the judicial panels set up by state governments across the country to investigate police brutality in about five states so far.
According to Sunday PUNCH, in Ogun State, the Judicial Panel of Investigation received 20 petitions on police brutality.
The Media Officer of the Panel of Investigation, Femi Osipitan, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.
Osipitan said the Judicial Panel of Investigation set up by the state government to investigate complaints and petitions of victims of police brutality and abuse of human rights by security operatives would hold its maiden sitting on Thursday, November 5.
Osipitan said the chairman of the panel, Justice Solomon Olugbemi, made the disclosure after he held a meeting with the panel members.
According to him, the chairman said, “We have received over 20 petitions already and sitting starts immediately. The sittings would be transparent and open.
“Media stations are invited to witness and cover the sittings.”
Meanwhile in Akwa Ibom State, the state Commission of Inquiry on police brutality said it had received 16 petitions since the panel’s inaugural sitting on Monday, October 26,2020
The secretary to the panel, Ms Mfon Edemekong, who disclosed this to one of our correspondents in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, said a lot of people had come to make inquiries.
She said the panel did not want to streamline the petitions so that people would not be discouraged or pushed away.
In Enugu State, about 58 petitions have been submitted to the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to investigate and recommend compensations to victims of police brutality, extrajudicial killings and extortion.
In Ebonyi State, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by Governor David Umahi said on Friday that it had received four petitions from members of the public.
Also, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on police brutality has yet to begin sitting in Cross River State, though it has received three petitions.
According to the chairman, who is a former chief judge of the state, Justice Michael Edem (retd), “the inaugural sitting is on the 9th of November.”
He said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Tanko Ashang, had details about the number of petitions received so far.
Meanwhile, the panel of enquiry in Edo State is collating petitions and will start deliberating on them on Tuesday.
The secretary to the panel, Joyce Ugbodaga, said the panel had received petitions but they were being looked at to ensure that they were properly dealt with.
She, however, failed to reveal the details of any of the petitions, noting that the panel would sit on Tuesday at the Civic Centre, when the details of the petitions would be made public.
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