Five years after the #EndSARS protest that shook Nigeria and led to the establishment of judicial panels across the country, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has yet to implement the recommendations of the state’s panel on police brutality and extrajudicial killings — leaving victims stranded and hopeless.
The PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the nine-member Justice Solomon Olugbemi-led Judicial Panel of Investigation, inaugurated in October 2020 by Governor Abiodun, had submitted its report in July 2021 after months of public hearings and testimonies from victims of torture, unlawful detention, and killings allegedly perpetrated by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other security agents.
The panel, which received 106 petitions and fully treated 58, recommended the payment of ₦218 million as compensation to 42 victims or their families. It also urged the state government to investigate, discipline, and where necessary, prosecute erring officers.
In its 289-page report, the panel documented harrowing accounts of police brutality — including unjustifiable shootings, inhumane treatment, brain damage, spinal cord injuries, deaths, and the loss of livelihoods.
While receiving the report in 2021, Governor Abiodun had promised prompt action, assuring that “the implementation of this report will end the gory experiences often encountered by residents of the state.”
However, five years after, victims told PLATFORM TIMES that the government has failed to fulfil its promise.
One of them, Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, who was hit by a stray police bullet and left paralyzed, said he had lost faith in the government’s sincerity.
“We have been forgotten. I can’t walk again. Life has been unbearable and I have no means to survive. The governor should have mercy on us and implement the panel’s report before we die waiting,” he lamented.
Another victim, Oluwasola Oladunjoye, a national weightlifter who was stabbed in the neck by a police officer, said he had lost his wife and could no longer afford his children’s school fees.
“Things are getting worse. We need help. The government should pay our compensation so we can rebuild our lives,” he pleaded.
Similarly, Kamol Ganiyu, who was shot in the leg during the protest, recounted how his family sold their only car to fund his medical bills.
“The report is gathering dust while victims like us are suffering. We deserve justice,” he said.
A member of the panel, Yinka Folarin, who is also the Vice President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), blamed the government’s inaction on lack of political will.
> “We recommended about ₦216 million for compensation and advised disciplinary measures against culpable officers. But the government abandoned it. It’s disheartening that taxpayers’ money and months of effort went to waste,” Folarin said.
“While Lagos State has compensated some victims, Ogun State has done nothing. It appears the governor was either wrongly advised or simply unwilling to act,” he added..
When contacted, the governor’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said he was not aware of the status of the report but promised to “reach out to the right agency.”
Efforts to get a response from the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwaseun Ogungbade, were unsuccessful as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered.
The #EndSARS protest, which erupted in October 2020, was a nationwide youth-led movement against police brutality and extortion by the SARS unit.
It culminated in the disbandment of the unit after widespread demonstrations, which turned violent in some parts of the country, leading to at least 56 deaths within weeks.
In line with the directive of the National Executive Council (NEC) chaired by then Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, all state governors were mandated to set up judicial panels to investigate complaints and deliver justice to victims.
While several states, including Lagos, have paid compensation to victims, Ogun remains one of the few where the panel’s report lies unimplemented — five years after its submission.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” said one human rights lawyer, calling on the Ogun State Government to “dust off the report and honour its promise to the victims of police brutality.”
Source :Daily Trust
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