Lagos State judicial panel: Three petitioners get N13.5million for police brutality

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The Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters today Tuesday 11th May, 2021, awarded a total N13.5 million naira to 3 petitioners, while dismissing a petition for lack of merit.

In all, the panel gave it’s ruling on 3 petitions. In its first judgement of the day, the panel awarded the sum of N7.5 million naira to Mr. Ndukwe Ekekwe in his petition against the federal special anti robbery squad (FSARS) for the injuries inflicted on him which confined the petitioner to a wheel chair.

The panel found that the petitioner proved it’s case beyond reasonable doubt of how he was tutored by the police in the process of it’s investigation and which was corroborated by the police officer who testified when he asserted that torture is used as a means to extract information from suspects. The panel ruled that the torture of the petitioner violated his fundamental right to human dignity as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and thus awarded the sum of N7.5 million naira as compensation to the petitioner. The panel also directed the Nigeria police force to investigate the circumstances surrounding the torture and deformity of the petitioner and mete out appropriate sanctions to the officers involved.

However the petitioner caused a stir when he protestedThe against the amount in compensation claiming that it was too small compared to what he lost that he ought to be awarded about N30 million naira as he claimed that he sold his land and other properties during his travail. He claimed that the amount awarded in compensation was too paltry. It took the intervention of his counsel to calm him down as the panel frowned at his conduct. At the end of the day, he came forward to collect his cheque which was presented to him in the full glare of the world by the panel chairman Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd.).

In the second judgement of the day of the family of late Okwechi Onwugbufor vs the Nigeria police force, the panel dismissed the petition on the grounds that there was no eye witness account of the death of the deceased and no documentary evidence to confirmed that the petitoner was killed by the Nigeria police force.

Recall, that the family of the late Okwechi Onwugbufor had petitioned the panel over the death of the family bread winner alledgedly in the hands of the Nigeria police force personnel some 42 years ago.

In the third judgement of the day in the petition of Adeshina Isaac and Andrew Okoh vs the Nigeria police force, the panel found merit in the petitioners case and awarded both of them N3 million naira each.

The petitioners were presented their cheques accompanied by their counsel.

The counsels for the two cases which were awarded compensation, Olukoya Ogungbeje for Ndukwe Ekekwe and A. O. Oyaletor for Adeshina Isaac and Andrew Okoh, commended and appreciated the panel for it’s thoroughness and painstaking effort in delivering justice in the petitions. They were also full of praises for the Lagos State government and the Almighty God.

The panel will resume sitting on Friday 14th May, 2021 in continuation of it’s assignment at it’s venue.

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