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Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu
As Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State inaugurates the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on complaints of police brutality today, the State Police Command has pledged maximum cooperation with the panel.
The State Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad AbdurRahman, who made the pledge when the Governor visited the defunct SARS office to ensure that they have complied with the IGP directive, said his Command would provide whatever was required of it.
‘We are going to give them the maximum cooperation and whatever they require will be turned down to them,’ he said.
Governor Ugwuanyi had while addressing #EndSARS protesters on Saturday announced the setting up of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate complaints of police brutality or related extrajudicial killings, as demanded by the protesters.
The panel which would be chaired by a High Court Judge has two representatives of the civil society groups, one retired police officer of high repute, one youth representative, one student representative, a representative of the State Attorney General and another from the Human Rights Commission as members.
The State Attorney General, Mr Miletus Eze, who was with the Governor on the visit to SARS office had told the CP that the panel would be saddled with the responsibility of ‘receiving and investigating complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings; evaluate the evidence presented/other surrounding circumstances and draw a conclusion as to the validity of the complaints and then recommend compensation and other remedial measures where appropriate.’
Giving some details about the defunct SARS in the State the police chief said, ‘by the day the unit was disbanded, they had 11 suspects, out of the 11 suspects one was on court order while 10 were being investigated. So the one that was on court order, we have returned him to the court and he has been taken to Nsukka Correctional Service.
‘Then the 10 being taken over by the State CID, I directed them to go and vet the case diaries, five of them have been taken to the court this morning (Monday), so the remaining five are those their cases are still ongoing and now being investigated by men of the State CID, they are there in the custody of the State CID. So since the unit is no more they are only waiting for the net instruction from the Force Headquarters. Having said this, Your Excellency, you will meet an empty cell.’
