Funke Busari
A retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Honourable Commissioner representing the Judiciary in the Police Service Commission, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi has assured of diligent investigation into serious alledged police misconduct contained in the report of the Action Group on Free Civic Space in Nigeria presented to the Commission in Abuja on Monday.
She was speaking on behalf of the PSC Chairman, Musiliu Smith.
The commission public relations officer, Ikechukwu Ani through a statement on Monday informed that the Commission assured the group that allegations contained in the report will be investigated.
The Group led by Zikora Ibe, accompanied by accompanied by Okechukwu Nwanguma and Kingsley Godwin presented the report titled “ENDSARS: Police Brutality, Protests and Shrinking Civic Space in Nigeria.”
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Ogunbiyi said the report was far reaching and that the Commission will need to further investigate the serious allegations contained in it.
Justice Ogunbiyi said the report contained a lot of allegations and information which the Commission will need to verify and commended the Group for the painstaking job.
She noted that PSC will continue to do its best to improve the workings of the Nigeria Police Force and will continue to ensure that it operates within defined rules and regulations and with respect to democratic tenets.
Ibe who led the delegation in her brief presentation said the Group is demanding that erring Police Officers of the dreaded SARS must be held accountable.
According to Ibe “We urge the National Human Rights Commission andi the Enugu state Judicial Panel of Inquiry to commit to bringing the Officers and politicians named and identified by victims in this Report to justice for their various roles in perpetrating and aiding Police brutality”.
She also demanded for an investigation of alleged black-market trade of bodies murdered by SARS operatives to University teaching hospitals as cadavers for the teaching and practice of medicine in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The Group is also demanding that the capacity of oversight bodies like the Complaints Response Unit, CRU, the Police Service Commission, Ministry of Police Affairs and the National Human Rights Commission, to enforce discipline in the Police should be strengthened.
Below is the statement
POLICE SERVICE COMMISSION
PRESS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT
PRESS RELEASE
PSC RECEIVES “ENDSARS REPORT” PLEDGES TO INVESTIGASTE ALLEGED POLICE MISCONDUCT
The Police Service Commission has pledged to investigate alleged police misconduct contained in the report of the Action Group on Free Civic Space in Nigeria, which was presented to the Commission in Abuja. The Group, led by Zikora Ibe and accompanied by Okechukwu Nwanguma and Kingsley Godwin presented a Report titled “ENDSARS: Police Brutality, Protests and Shrinking Civic Space in Nigeria”.
Speaking while receiving the delegation on behalf of the Chairman of the Commission, Justice Clara Bata Ogunbiyi, retired Justice of the Supreme Court and Honourable Commissioner representing the Judiciary in the Commission said the Report was far reaching and that the Commission will need to further investigate the serious allegations contained in it.
Justice Ogunbiyi said the Report contained a lot of allegations and information which the Commission will need to verify and commended the Group for the painstaking job.
She noted that the Commission will continue to do its best to improve the workings of the Nigeria Police Force and will continue to ensure that it operates within defined rules and regulations and with respect to democratic tenets.
The Leader of Delegation, Zikora Ibe in her brief presentation said the Group is demanding that erring Police Officers of the dreaded SARS must be held accountable. According to her “we urge the National Human Rights Commission and the Enugu state Judicial Panel of Inquiry to commit to bringing the Officers and politicians named and identified by victims in this Report to justice for their various roles in perpetrating and aiding Police brutality”.
She also demanded for an investigation of alleged black-market trade of bodies murdered by SARS operatives to University teaching hospitals as cadavers for the teaching and practice of medicine in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The Group is also demanding that the capacity of oversight bodies like the Complaints Response Unit (CRU), the Police Service Commission, Ministry of Police Affairs and the National Human Rights Commission, to enforce discipline in the Police should be strengthened.
Ikechukwu Ani
Head, Press and Public Relations
Monday, May 10th, 2021
