SARS: Oyetola Receives Judicial Panel’s Report

The Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has expressed his administration resolve to rid the state of all forms of injustice against and oppression of the weak.

He called on citizens of the state to hold external and internal institutions and other citizens accountable in ways that public conducts and behaviours conform to the ethos of Omoluabi.

Oyetola stated these yesterday when he received the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry against Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Related Extra-judicial Killings, at the Governor’s Office in Osogbo.

The governor had constituted the panel led by a retired Judge of the state High Court, Justice Akinwale Oladimeji, to look into cases of assault, illegal arrest, killings, brutality and other forms of rights abuse by the officers and men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police.

Oyetola, who appreciated members of the panel for giving their best to comfort the oppressed and strengthen the weak, assured the people that the government would implement the recommendations of the panel in a manner that will ensure that justice is served.

Oyetola said: “We have resolved to heal the wounds of those that were hurt among us, so as to reintegrate them into our fold, get the best out of them and move on as one big, strong family.

“As a people, we reject a culture that reduces our citizens to victims of injustice and democracy they fought hard to enthrone in their fatherland.

“Today, we are determined to work together as a family and take the weakest of the weak by the hand as we walk the lane of sustainable freedom, progress, peace and development. And we have instituted structures to ensure justice for all at all times.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Oladimeji, said the panel had painstakingly reviewed and addressed the 34 petitions received, out of which 13 were struck out for various reasons, two were dismissed after hearing and recommendation, and 21 were processed and contained in the report.

He noted that from the petitions reviewed, it was observed that the men of the Nigerian Police Force had been responsible for a number of problems plaguing the country, adding that there was a need for the government to reappraise structural issues like mode of recruitment of security agents and subjection of appointed officers to psychiatric tests to ascertain their fitness.

The Justice, however, expressed optimism that a thorough and faithful implementation of the report would help in resolving a number of the challenges facing the security architecture in the country and Osun State in particular.