The 8-man Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution to investigate cases of police brutality in Lagos is now sitting.
The panel is led by Justice Doris Okuwobi, a retired Judge of Lagos State. The youth representatives on the panel are Rinu Oduala and Majekodunmi Temitope.
The panel was constituted by the Governor of Lagos State, Babjide Sanwo-Olu on October 19th 2020, when he invoked Section 1 of the Tribunals of Inquiry Law of Lagos State which gives the Lagos State governor the power to constitute a tribunal when necessary, to inquire into the affairs of any public officer in Lagos State.
Section 5 of the Tribunals of Inquiry Law of Lagos State also gives the Tribunal the power to conduct investigations into the proceedings.
The job of the panel
The panel will sit for six months, and it will draw conclusions from the statements of victims of police brutality in Lagos State, with the aim of determining and recommending compensation for victims and their dependents.
The tribunal is also mandated to interrogate SARS officers responsible for the abuse of victims and recommend their prosecution.
The Lagos State Government also says it has established a ₦200 million fund for compensation to families and individuals who have been victimised by officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
Oath of secrecy
Earlier on in the day, there had been some controversy about an “oath of secrecy” that panel members had to swear to.
However, it seems the air has been cleared as lawyer, Mochievous, stated that the concerns were raised on the issue and the panelists will not be signing the document.
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