The Lagos judicial panel on police brutality has submitted its report to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state, Monday.
Lagos government had on October 19, 2020 inaugurated the judicial panel to investigate petitions on police brutality in the state as part of recommendations put forward during the #EndSARS protests.
The Doris Okuwobi-led panel during the Monday sitting awarded more petitioners the sum of N148.2 million naira as compensations for various brutalities they suffered in the hands of police officers including illegal killings of their loved ones, harassments and arrests.
The panel awarded 10 million naira each to twelve families, after it found merit in their petitions against the police for the extra judicial killings of Michael Owoicho, Fatai Ogunseye, Ismaila Akapo, Mustapha Moruuf, ikechukwu Iloamuzor, Yusuf Omole, Bukola Adeogun, Taiwo Egbaiyeyomi, Sylvester Okoronkwo.
Others are Gabriel Ayodele, Yemi Abdul Kareem and the most recent Gabriel Aiyedungbe who was shot in the head by police officers attached to the Ojodu police station on October 21 2020.
Various awards ranging from 500,000 were given to some other petitioners.
However, the widow of a LASTMA official, Rotimi Adeyemo who was killed on duty by a SARS officer, who himself was later killed by a mob, was not compensated by the panel.
The panel said it was yet to write out its findings on the Lekki tollgate shooting incident of protesters in October last year, which the panel was tasked to investigate.
The panel said it would submit its reports to the state government which will include recommendations for compensations to affected individuals.
Justice Okuwobi explained that it had a heavy docket of 252 petitioners, in all out of which 52 petitions are yet to be open at all.
The unopened petitions as well as those yet to be concluded will be transmitted to the ministry of justice for consideration on setting up another body that will handle human rights violations in the future, the panel added.
