July 18, (THEWILL) – The Edo State judicial panel of inquiry set up to investigate the circumstances surrounding the activities of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and the #EndSARS protests in the state on Tuesday recommended the employment of two petitioners hit by stray and identified bullets during the protest.
Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (Retd.), chairman of the panel, who presented the report to Governor Godwin Obaseki, named the two petitioners as Ohimai Stephen Asekhame and Miracle Aihenlen Okhuria.
Ehigiamusoe said the two petitioners were hit by stray bullets, which resulted in the amputation of their limbs. She, therefore, appealed to the state government to consider their plight in terms of possible employment.
She also drew the state government’s attention to the plight of two deaf and dumb petitioners whose spinal cords and genitals were damaged as a result of shooting during the protest.
The panel chairman explained that the two physically challenged petitioners were hospitalised at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, with a damaged spinal cord and genitals.
She added that a total of 135 petitions were considered to be meritorious, out of the 170 petitions filed by petitioners.
Ehigiamusoe added that of the 170 petitions, 25 were struck out for lack of diligence, while 10 were dismissed for lacking in merit.
She further explained that 10 petitioners out of the 135 petitioners sought the enforcement of judgment from various high courts against the police for acts of brutality and extrajudicial killings.
“The panel recommended the payment of compensations to the victims or their families, as well as the enforcement of all the judgments in debts as granted by the courts, which have not been complied with by the police till date,” she said.
In his remarks, while receiving the report, Governor Obaseki commended the panel for its commitment and diligence in arriving at the recommendations.
Obaseki, who assured that he would study the report and implement the recommendations, pledged that his administration would continue to enforce the rights of the citizenry and focus more on the young ones.
“Let me start by appreciating specifically the chairman of this panel. We thank God that we have people like Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (Retd), who is still available to work for our people. You will all agree with that the chairman brought to play not only her deep knowledge in the administration of justice, but also her motherly instinct in the way the affairs of the panel was conducted.
“At this point, we have just received the report. As government, we will go through the report with great diligence. I can assure you that we will look at each and every recommendations you have made. If we have any clarifications to seek, we will call you.
“Fortunately, this is a nationwide activity, and in our last National Economic Council meeting, it was decided that all states should submit their report on the investigation that were carried. So, we expect that we have both the national comprehensive response and Edo response to the unfortunate incidence that led to the destructions.
“On a final note, I want to say that the EndSARS demonstration of last year was a pointer to the fundamental injustices in our society, and that all of us, particularly political leaders in this country, must begin to understand that if we do not listen to the yearnings of our people more; if we continue to carry on as if we are in power for ourselves, we pray that the situation of last year doesn’t occur. And if it does, the EndSARS we experienced will be a joke,”he added.
Meanwhile, the money awarded, in terms of compensation, to the victims was not disclosed. It was, however, gathered that the panel awarded a total of N288million to the victims.
A reliable source close to the panel said N98million was awarded as enforcement of courts’ judgment and N190million as general compensation to victims.
Recall that the state government had October 26, 2020 inaugurated 28-man panel of inquiry to embark on a fact-finding mission to the then ongoing crisis between the citizens and the security operatives.
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