Ogun youths seek release of #EndSARS report

n n

Some youths in Ogun State have called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to make public the report of the state Judicial Panel of Investigation on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Extra-Judicial Killings.

n

The youths, under the umbrella of the Ogun Youth Assembly, said the release of the report would strengthen transparency and complement the administration’s youth-development legacy.

n

In a letter addressed to the governor and obtained by Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, the Chairman of the group, Habeeb Whyte, said the report was formally presented to Abiodun on July 9, 2021, after which the governor promised that the recommendations would be implemented.

n

Whyte recalled that following the nationwide #EndSARS protests in 2020, the state government set up a judicial panel chaired by retired Justice Solomon Olugbemi to investigate allegations of police brutality, human rights violations and extra-judicial killings.

n

He said citizens appeared before the panel, submitted petitions and gave evidence with the expectation that the process would deliver justice and closure.

n

“I am not raising this issue from a distance. I witnessed the seriousness with which petitions were presented and the expectations of citizens who came before the panel,” Whyte said.

n

Whyte, who served as Legal Adviser to the state Police Community Relations Committee at the time, noted that the panel received 106 petitions and considered 58.

n

He said the panel’s 289-page report contained recommendations including N218m compensation for 42 victims or their families.

n

Whyte questioned the lack of a public account on the status of the recommendations years after the report was submitted.

n

“The central question is straightforward: where is the report, and what has happened to its recommendations?” he asked.

n

He added that the absence of publicly accessible information had created uncertainty over compensation, disciplinary measures and matters that might have been referred to federal authorities.

n

Whyte urged the governor to publish the report alongside an implementation matrix showing each recommendation, the responsible authority, actions taken, outstanding steps and timelines.

n

He said where compensation had been paid, the government should document it, while outstanding obligations should be addressed in accordance with the law.

n

“Publishing the report should not be seen as an attack on the government. It is an opportunity for the administration to demonstrate confidence in its own processes and strengthen public trust,” he said.

n

Whyte added that the issue remained significant to Ogun youths because the #EndSARS protests represented a major generational demand for dignity, accountability and responsible policing.

n

The 2020 nationwide #EndSARS protests against police brutality prompted state governments across the country to set up judicial panels of inquiry to investigate abuses and recommend compensation for victims.

n

While several states published their findings and disbursed funds to victims, rights groups and civil society organisations have repeatedly called on governments that are yet to publish their full reports or implement the recommendations to do so.

n n