The victims of brutality and murder are yet to receive justice two years after a judicial panel found the police in Anambra State culpable.

Following the 2020 EndSars protest killings, the state government set up a panel to look into various cases of police brutality that victims suffered at the hands of policemen. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) also set up an investigative committee.

In March 2022, the Anambra investigative panel submitted its report to Willie Obiano, the former governor of Anambra.

The panel said it investigated 310 cases of police brutality in the state.

After concluding its findings, the panel recommended that the government should pay between N5 million and N10 million in compensation to the families of dead victims.

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Furthermore, it recommended that victims who got permanent deformities as a result of these police abuses should be paid between N1 million and N3 million. Those who suffered temporary injuries should get between N400,000 and N1 million, the panel recommended.

Abdul Mahmud, a human rights lawyer and one of the petitioners in the Anambra state panel, revealed on Wednesday that the victims of the injustices as exposed by the panels’ findings had not got justice.

THE POLICE ALSO MADE THEIR FINDINGS

In 2023, victims and families of victims took to various social media platforms to narrate different cases of extrajudicial killings, illegal detention, unlawful arrest and tortures that they faced at the hands of the Anambra police.

The police announced an investigation afterwards.

Olumuyiwa Adejobi, the Public Relations of the NPF, announced in February 2023 that Baba Usman, who was the Inspector General of Police at the time, had created an investigative panel.

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The purpose of the investigation panel, as Adejobi announced, was to “commence investigations into some weighty allegations of unprofessionalism, high-handedness, and extra-judicial killings levelled against its officers serving at the Zone 13 command, Ukpo-Dunukofia, and the Anambra State Command on social media platforms”.

In June 2023, Adejobi confirmed that the panel’s investigation had been submitted to Baba. However, he failed to publicise the outcome of the investigation or even implement anything from its findings till his tenure as IGP ended.

Kayode Egbetokun, who took over from Baba as IGP, has also failed to share the panel’s report. He had not mentioned the implementation of the report at press time.

FIJ called Adejobi on Wednesday but he said FIJ should send a text instead. FIJ sent a text afterwards but he was yet to respond.
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