Indicted SARS officials shall be prosecuted, says AFG
The Federal Government’s investigative panel set up to probe allegations of rights violation by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other tactical units of the Nigeria Police Force held its first sitting in Abuja on Wednesday.
The panel was inaugurated on behalf of the Federal Government by the National Human Rights Commission on October 21, 2020, in reaction to the recent #EndSARS protests and was expected to turn in its reports within six months.
Shortly after the ceremonial inaugural sitting, the 11 man panel, led by Justice Ibrahim Galadima, a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, began the hearing of two petitions which were later adjourned for continuation of hearing.
Speaking at the ceremonial inaugural sitting, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Salami (SAN), said the report of the panel would be implemented.
Malami, who was represented by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Dayo Apata (SAN) said, “any person indicted for any criminal offence shall be duly prosecuted.
‘Let me assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is committed to its primary responsibility of protecting lives and property”, he added.
Apata said the report of the previous presidential panel on SARS, submitted to the AGF office on October 19,2020, with the list of SARS operatives indicted and recommended for prosecution was receiving attention.
He said the AGF and its state counterparts had already scheduled a meeting on how to fashion out the strategy for the prosecution of the cases, most of which he said involved state offences.
The 1st vice-president of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr John Aikpoko-Martins, who represented the NBA President, Mr Olumide Akpata, charged the panel “to extend its terms and reference to cover ongoing alleged rights violations”.
He cited the allegation that the Nigeria Immigration Service on Monday prevented a promoter of the #EndSARS movement, Modupe Odele, from travelling abroad.
“Then the alleged killing in Oyigbo. This panel should have terms of reference that cover these cases”, he added.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, asked the panel to use any procedure it found convenient to carry out its investigations and arrive at substantial justice.
He added that the various relevant authorities, including the AGF office and the Police Service Commission, had started processing the various list of SARS operatives recommended for prosecution, demotion or dismissal by the previous presidential panel which had submitted its report to the president, Muhammadu Buhari in June 2019.