EndSARS: Makinde inaugurates judicial panel of inquiry, as State receives 50 petitions

The Governor of Oyo State, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday, inaugurated an 11-man Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings and brutality by security agents against residents of the State.

Governor Makinde, who declared the readiness of the state to take appropriate actions against indicted persons or agencies, said that all affected persons should feel free to come forward with their complaints.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr.
Taiwo Adisa, indicated that the governor made the declaration while inaugurating the panel of inquiry at the Executive Council Chamber, of the State’s Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The statement added that Governor Makinde also said that the State
government through the platforms it earlier set up to collate cases of
rights infringements has received close to 50 complaints of alleged
police brutality and human rights violations.

He said: “As a government, we are doing our part and setting up this
panel of inquiry, some people have said it will not yield any result.

“Well, the only way it can produce results is if people present their
cases and bring evidence to support them so that the panel can make their recommendations which will then be adopted and implemented.

“Something will happen if people are able to come forward and present their cases before the panel.”

According to him, the Federal Government had on October 16 directed all State governors to set up judicial panels of inquiry to listen to petitions of the members of the public and recommend actions against police brutality, violation of rights of citizens, and unlawful killings.

He also told the gathering that the State government had signed a
Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Ibadan on the training of security agents serving in the state on criminal justice and human rights enforcement.

“As stated, only state governors can, by law, set up judicial inquiries in their states. People have been asking why we didn’t proceed to set up this panel in Oyo State immediately.

“Well, we decided here to first get some clarity into the types of cases that this panel of inquiry will be looking into. So, in selecting members of the panel, we have people who are of sound mind and intellect and the people who have the requisite knowledge and expertise to make objective appraisals of these petitions.”

He said that the panel is made up of eleven members drawn from the legal, community, National Human Rights Commission, the Department of Public Prosecution, National Youths Council of Nigeria, Youths representatives of #EndSARS protesters, and the community.

“They are men and women of high repute who have shown themselves up to this task. At least, I can see some of you that we were face to face during the protest.”

The governor also added that the late Isiaka Jimoh, Ganiyu Moshood, and Adeoye Taiwo who were killed during the EndSARS protest as well as police officers who were brutally murdered would be thoroughly investigated, while their killers would be brought to book.

“Let me reiterate that those who are responsible for the death of Isiaka Jimoh, Ganiyu Moshood Alabi, and Adeoye Taiwo will be brought to book. We all want a society where the rights of the people arerespected. Also, we will look into the issue of the policemen thatwere brutally murdered and roasted.”