Extrajudicial killings: NHRC receives 17 petitions against SARS

The NHRC received the petitions in Port Harcourt, where it began a public hearing into complaints against the special unit of the Nigeria Police in the South-South Zone. The public hearing was organised by the commission in conjunction with CLEEN Foundation formerly known as the Centre for Law Enforcement Education. The Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, explained that the public hearing became necessary following the directive of Vice- President Yemi Osinbajo that the commission should investigate claims of human right abuses against SARS. Ojukwu cautioned that the allegations of human rights violations had huge human rights implications if nothing urgent was done to address them. “In line with the statutory responsibility of the commission to investigate and determine cases of alleged human rights violations and in recognition of the seriousness and severity of these complaints which have huge human rights implications, the commission, in collaboration with CLEEN Foundation and Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, has set up this Special Investigative Panel. “The panel will conduct a public hearing to investigate and determine the complaints received by the commission in the South-South and the South-East geo-political zones. “The commission is aware that the Inspector General of Police has issued out a number of reforms to be carried out by the Nigeria Police in compliance with the presidential directives to overhaul SARS. “While commending the IG for the reforms, the commission expected a well-thought-out reform, which would encompass consultations across various strata of the society as well as integrate the recommendations of the Presidential Panel on SARS Reforms,” he said. Ojukwu maintained that the reason for the public hearing was to enable the NHRC to demand accountability where there was an indication that officials of SARS had been involved in acts bordering on human rights violation. Also, NOPRIN National Coordinator, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma, stated that despite the directive of the Inspector- General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, SARS reform would not achieve the expected change, describing the directive as hasty. Nwanguma urged Idris to create more embracing reforms that would bring about positive change in SARS.]]>