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.

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.