REVEALED: FCT #EndSARS Panel Lacks Funds To Compensate Victims Of Police Assault

The Federal Capital Territory panel investigating human rights violations by operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigeria Police Force is yet to issue financial compensation to petitioners whose matters have been concluded due to lack of funds, our correspondent has learnt.

The FCT panel was inaugurated by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on November 4 to probe alleged cases of police brutalit.

Recall that the federal government had called for the constitution of panel of inquiries into such cases, following widespread protests by #EndSARS protesters in October 2020, which eventually led to disbanding of the SARS squad.

On March 19, the panel chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd) had disclosed that 20 out of 44 petitioners who earlier got court judgements in their favour were being considered for award of N575 million in compensation.

“The petitions on judgment debts of about 575.8million were considered ranging from the award of the sum of 200million to ₦120,000 of cases bothering on extra-judicial killing, unlawful arrest and detention, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, alleged enforce disappearance, confiscation of property etc,” the statement from the panel partly read.

But while the FCT panel is yet to compensate some of the petitioners, the Lagos State Judicial Panel had begun issuing cheques to victims of police assaults.

THE WHISTLER reported that two victims of police brutality in the state were awarded N10 million each by the Lagos panel on February 19.

As for the FCT panel, a source familiar with developments at the panel told our correspondent that the federal government was yet to release funds to them.

“No funds for compensation for now, they are still waiting for government to release funds, “the source said.

Also, our correspondent learnt that more petitions may still flood the FCT panel because of the suspension of the strike action of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria.

“Petitions are tied to developments in court,” the source said.