Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the plan of both the federal and state
\ngovernments on police reform will be a game-changer in ensuring an end
\nto impunity.<\/p>\n
The plan includes investigating police brutality as well as providing
\ncompensation to victims of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad
\n(SARS) and other police units.<\/p>\n
Osinbajo\u2019s spokesman, Laolu Akande, in a statement on Friday in Abuja,
\nsaid the Vice President made the pledge on Thursday when he received at
\nthe Presidential Villa, Abuja, an American government delegation.<\/p>\n
The delegation comprised the US Assistant Secretary, Bureau for
\nDemocracy, Human Rights and Labour, Bob Destro; US Assistant Secretary,
\nBureau for Conflict Stabilization Operations, Denise Natali; the
\nCounselor of the US Department of State, Thomas Brechbuhl.<\/p>\n
The Charge d\u2019Affairs, US Embassy, Kathleen FitzGibbon and Foreign
\nAffairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, were also at the meeting.<\/p>\n
According to the Vice President, no fewer than\u00a0 13 states including
\nLagos, have established Judicial Panels \u201cto seek justice and to
\ncompensate those whose rights have been breached.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that the President had already supported the decisions of the
\nNational Economic Council (NEC).<\/p>\n
NEC on Oct. 12 resolved on the immediate establishment of State-based
\nJudicial Panels of Inquiry to receive and investigate complaints of
\npolice brutality or related extra-judicial killings to deliver justice
\nfor all victims of the dissolved SARS and other police units.<\/p>\n
Osinbajo said that NEC also agreed on the provision of monetary
\ncompensation to victims and prosecution of erring officers.<\/p>\n
While responding to the concerns of the US government on instances of
\nimpunity in the country, the Vice President noted that the efforts were
\npart of the Nigerian government\u2019s commitment to implement extensive
\npolice reforms.<\/p>\n
He added that the establishment of Judicial Panels of Inquiry nationwide
\nwould further ensure that the Police and other security agencies ensured
\nthe protection of human rights of citizens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe concerns around impunity are some of the concerns that informed the
\nestablishment of Judicial Panels of Inquiry across states. Each state is
\nnow required to establish judicial inquiry that will look into cases of
\nimpunity, excessive use of force, extrajudicial killings especially by
\nlaw enforcement agents.<\/p>\n
\u201cAside from two representatives of Civil Society groups, these Judicial
\nPanels will have youth representatives and a representative from the
\nNational Human Rights Commission, among others.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach State is also required to have what is called the Special Security
\nand Human Rights Committee to ensure that law enforcement and security
\nagencies protect the Human Rights of citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGovernment is paying attention; the point we are making is that
\nprotests are a means to an end, but they cannot be the end; we are very
\noptimistic that what we have put in place would eventually yield the
\nbest possible results for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Vice President also highlighted what he termed false narratives
\nabout Nigeria, including the herder-farmer crisis, especially in North
\nCentral states and the politics behind the allegations.<\/p>\n
Osinbajo said the herder-farmer crisis was exacerbated mainly because of
\nland and resources struggle than from the misinterpreted
\nChristians-versus-Muslim narrative.<\/p>\n
Members of the US delegation from Washington DC offered to collaborate
\nwith the Federal Government on the issues, a suggestion welcomed by the
\nVice President hoping that such cooperation would create a better
\nunderstanding of the issues. (NAN)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says the plan of both the federal and state governments on police reform will be a game-changer in ensuring an end to impunity. The plan includes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-76540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n