BEVERLY HILLS, October 18, (THEWILL) – Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has appointed members of three committees on cases of police brutalities in the state.
The committees are Judicial Panel of Investigation, Special Security and Human Rights Committee, and Human Rights Complaints Office.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Kunle Somorin disclosed that retired justice, Solomon Olugbemi will chaired the Judicial Panel of Investigation; while the Chief State Counsel at the State Ministry of Justice, Mrs Oluwatosin Ogundele will serve as secretary.
Other members of the Committee are Olayinka Folarin (Chairman, Ogun State Coalition of Civil Societies), Omonajevwe Abiri (International Federation of Women Lawyers – FIDA), and Deputy Inspector General of Police Babatunde Ogunyanwo (rtd), AbdulJabar Ayelagbe (Chairman, National Youth Council, Ogun State Chapter), Bamgbose Tomiwa, (NANS Chairman, Ogun State), and Aisekegbe Momodu (National Human Rights Commission – NHRC, Ogun State).
According to the statement, the Committee is to receive and investigate complaints of police brutality, human rights violations and related extra-judicial killings in the state. It also has the mandate to evaluate evidence presented and recommend compensation and other remedial measures for victims, where appropriate.
The Committee on Special Security and Human Rights has the governor, Dapo Abiodun as chairman. Other members are heads of the security agencies in Ogun, as well as head of any police special tactical unit charged with fighting armed robbery and other violent crimes.
Babatunde Adeluola is representing the youth while representatives of the civil society are Peju Osoba of Child First Welfare International and Obatungashe Adebayo who is the deputy national president of the Campaign for Democracy (CD).
“This Committee is charged amongst others, with the task of ensuring the protection of the rights of citizens by all security and law enforcement agencies; monitor the prosecution of any officer indicted by the Presidential Panel on Police Reforms; and entertain complaints of human rights violations from the State’s Human Rights Complaints Office,” the statement added.
Joseph Ogunniyi (Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Ota Branch), Bamidele Adebayo (Director of the Department of Citizens Rights at the State Ministry of Justice) and Shodeinde Oluwaponmile (Ogun State Coordinator of the NHRC) are in charge of the Committee on Human Rights Complaints Office
The committee is to facilitate easy access of complainants to prompt attention and assistance and give regular reports to the Special Security and Human Rights Committee for action.
Somorin stated that the appointments were in line with the resolution of the National Economic Council at its meeting on Thursday.
He noted that a seed fund of N50 million has been set aside as a start-up amount to enable payment of monetary compensation to deserving victims, under the Victims’ Support Fund.
The statement also disclosed the launching of a Human Rights Complaints Reporting Portal which will be accessible to all citizens of the state to upload documentary and audio/ video evidence of cases of abuse.
The statement hinted that the state government would establish a forensic laboratory to aid and support police investigations and crime scene management. He added that the state would invest in the continuous training of police officers on investigation best practices, community policing, and intelligence gathering.
“The governor assured citizens that the committees need to be allowed a chance to activate measures to end human rights violations and compensate victims of previous abuses. The Committees will be inaugurated next week”, the statement said.
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