TheCable

The Abuja judicial panel on police brutality has awarded the sum of N289 million to 74 victims of police brutality.

Following the #EndSARS protest in 2020, the federal government had directed states — and the federal capital territory (FCT) — to set up panels to probe police brutality, including allegations against the now-disbanded special anti-robbery squad (SARS).

The 11-member panel of the FCT, which was inaugurated by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), is led by Suleiman Galadima, a former justice of the supreme court.

In December 2021, TheCable had reported that the panel awarded N146 million as compensation to 27 victims of police brutality.

Speaking at the event on Wednesday, Hilary Ogbonna, secretary of the panel, said the victims included those who had faced “degrading treatment”, as well as victims of illegal arrest.

“Out of 74, twenty-five are for extra-judicial killings, four are for enforced disappearances, 25 are for torture, inhumane and degrading treatment, 16 are for illegal arrest and prolonged detention, four are confiscation of properties,” he said.

“In terms of naira and kobo, how much are we giving out today? By the approval of the NHRC and the decision of the independent investigative panel, we are paying out the total sum of N289.383 million.

“Out of 74 beneficiaries that were supposed to be paid today, 58 are ready to receive their dummy cheques. The rest are not ready. Some petitioners have left this world. Some even died within the last eight months. We are still making arrangement with their families and lawyers.”