25112020 - Selfish Northerners opposing restructuring, says el-Rufai

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Vanguard, , WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 — 29
:Vanguard :@vanguardnews :@vanguardnews NEWS HOTLINES: 08052867023, 08052867058
ABUJA—THE Coalition of
Civil Society Organisations,
yesterday, called on the
#EndSARS Judicial Panels of
Inquiry in Anambra and Akwa
Ibom states to subpoena
operatives of the defunct Special
Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, who
shunned their invitation to
appear and defend themselves
against allegations of brutality
leveled by affected citizens.
The CSOs expressed worry
that the continued nonappearance
of accused SARS
operatives would cast doubts on
the panels’ ability to secure
justice for victims of police
brutality.
A statement co-signed by the
Director of Programme, Yiaga
Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu, and
the Executive Director, Enough
is Enough, EiE, Nigeria, Yemi
Adamolekun, on behalf of the
group, said the silence by the
police hierarchy undermined the
process of justice for the victims
and called the government’s
intention for genuine police
reform to question.
The group said: “The nonappearance
of the Nigeria Police
Force and the defunct Special
Anti-Robbery Squads (SARS) in
Anambra and Akwa Ibom States
cast doubts on the panels’ ability
to secure justice for victims of
police brutality.
“We recommend that
subpoenas be issued to
respondents to ensure their
appearance at the Panels of
Inquiry. We also call on the
Nigeria Police Force to ensure
their officers are present to defend
themselves before the panels.
“The Inspector-General of
Police (IGP) has a duty to ensure
officers comply as part of his
commitment to police reform and
justice for victims of police
brutality.
“The non-compliance with
invitations to the Panels should
be interpreted as an admission of
guilt and the continued silence
by the IGP on this issue
undermines the process and calls
the government’s intent to
question.
“While not all states have
established Panels and some
states are more active than others
in sitting and responding to
petitions, it is important the
Government is seen to be sincere
in its commitment to ensuring
justice for victims of police
brutality and extra-judicial
killings through its actions and
media engagements.
“Nigerians deserve a process
that inspires confidence in the
Government’s commitment to
justice for victims, thus dismissive
statements and actions that seem
to suppress the voice of citizens
must not occur as they undermine
the work of the Judicial Panels.”
The group also noted with
concern last week’s indefinite
adjournment of the Panel in
Anambra State over ‘logistics’
issues, and called on both the
Federal and State Government
to provide adequate resources to
the various Judicial Panels of
Inquiry to enable them carry out
their assignment without undue
interference.
“This will ensure the
independence of these Panels
and build public trust in the
process,” they added.
Petitioner dies
before case is
• EndSARS protesters
#EndSARS: CSOs seek subpoena for
accused police officers in Anambra,
A’Ibom
By Luminous
Jannamike &
Onozure Dania
heard
The Lagos State Judicial Panel
of Enquiry and Restitution for
Victims of SARS related Abuses
and other matters, was told that
a petitioner Mr Basil Ejiagwa has
died as a result of torture meted
to him by the Police.
The revelation was made
yesterday just as another
petitioners, Okoli Abunike openly
confronted a police lawyer;
Emmanuel Eze whom he claimed
assaulted him some time ago.
Counsel to the late Ejiagwa,
Olalekan Gazali told the panel
that the wife of the deceased who
came all the way from Imo state
was at the panel last week, but
that the case couldn’t go on.
When the petition filed by late
Ejiagwa was called for hearing
yesterday, his lawyer Olalekan
Gazali told the panel, “The
petitioner is no more. We lost him
last week as a result of the torture
meted to him by SARS. The wife
came to this panel with his picture
to show the state of his health,
but unfortunately the matter did
not go on.
“We were to come last Saturday
but when we placed a call to the
wife, she said she could not come.
I want it on record that his wife
was here last week. That is
because of findings of panel. The
reason she’s not here now is
because she’s bereaved and
mourning her husband.
“The relative of the deceased
is here in representative capacity
to state how fractures sustained
by Mr Ejiagwa developed into
brain tumor and all the hospital
bills are here before us stating
his severe health challenge, and
all his money was spent on his
health before his demise.”
Testifying before the panel, the
deceased’s cousin Chukwu
Vincent said the Police used big
iron hammer to damage his two
legs and thereafter took him to
Ikeja SARS.
Earlier a mild drama ensued
when a petitioner Abunike,
•As petitioner dies before case is heard
•Bayelsa panel receives 35 petitions
spotted a Police lawyer who
assaulted him at the hearing of
his case.
The petitioner, who is a
litigation clerk, up on getting the
permission to speak from panel
chair Justice Doris
Okuwobi,(Rtd), pointed at the
police lead counsel, Mr Joseph
Eboseremen, and accused him of
assault.
Abunike said: “I am surprised
today to see a counsel sitting
before this tribunal in my
proceedings, Mr J. Eboseremen
“Last year he slapped me four
times at Panti (State Criminal
Investigating and Intelligence
Department, (SCIID) when I
By Samuel
Oyadongha &
Emem Idio
YState ENAGO—BAYELSA
Government has
urged the Federal Government
and other critical stakeholders in
the oil and gas industry against
repeating the mistakes that are
depriving host communities of
their benefits.
The state's Deputy Governor,
Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo,
stated this, while declaring open
the technical session of the 5th
National Council on Hydrocarbons,
at the Dappa Biriye Conference
Centre, in Yenagoa.
Making reference to Oloibiri,
which he described as the cradle
of oil wealth in Nigeria, the deputy
governor lamented that the
pitfalls in oil exploration activities
have underdeveloped oil producing
areas in the country.
Ewhrudjakpo challenged the
delegates to come up with a policy
document that will help in
correcting the mistakes of the past
as well as maximize the gas value
chain for the mutual benefit
of all stakeholders.
He called on policy makers,
particularly at the federal level,
to ensure that while the country
went to serve him a court process.
He said I should slap him back if
I had the balls.”
In his response, Eboseremen
denied the allegation, claiming
that it all started following his
refusal to compromise his integrity
in a N200million judgment debt
recovery case involving a law firm
linked with Eboseremen.
“He (Abunike) wants to dent
my image....Myself? Slapping
you? I don’t sell my integrity for a
pot of porridge,” the police officer
said.
The case was adjourned till
December 4, for further hearing.
Bayelsa panel
receives 35
petitions
The judicial panel of inquiry set
up by Bayelsa State government
to investigate police brutality and
allegations of human rights
abuses in the state has received
over thirty-five petitions amidst
concern over its delayed take-off
due to paucity of funds.
The panel headed by Retired
Justice Y.B.Ogola and Barrister
Alaowei Opokuma as Secretary,
was set up in October to equally
set up the special security and
human rights committee to
supervise and monitor the new
tactical unit of the police strategic
weapon and tactical squad in the
state.
Checks revealed that the
delayed sitting is caused by the
non-release of fund by the state
government and the poor
submission from the human
rights and civil society groups.
It was learned that the Zonal
office of the National Human
Rights Commission, NHRC, is
undecided whether to submit
about 20 petitions before the
panel in the state due to the poor
signal on take-off.
Most of the petitions received
by the panel are not only against
police personnel that served in
the Special Anti-Robbery Squad
but from other units of the state
police command.
According to sources, though
the judicial panel has been
running without a budget from
the state government and at the
stage of calling for submission of
petitions before commencement
of sittings, the issue of a huge
slash in the budget proposal to
N20m despite its non-release is
responsible for the delay.
Contacted on the
development, the secretary of the
Panel, Barrister Olaowei
Opokuma, denied knowledge of
the issue of non-release of fund
for the take-off of the panel
sitting, declaring that nothing is
hampering the judicial panel
sitting in the state.
According to him, the judicial
panel in the state has a schedule
of activities and that they are at
the stage of receiving petitions in
line with the ongoing radio
announcement in the state.
He however confirmed that all
the petitions received are not only
against the police personnel that
served with SARS in the state,
“but also against some of the
personnel that served in other
units of the police command.”
It would be recalled that the
state governor, Senator Douye
Diri, while setting up the judicial
panel and security and human
rights committee, said it was
constituted in response to the
yearnings of the youths as
articulated in the demands of the
EndSARS protesters.
Correct mistakes against host communities,
Bayelsa govt tells FG
Oleh killings: Community women protest, demand
justice
By Ochuko
Akuopha
OIC LEH—ECONOM
activities were,
yesterday, brought to a
halt in Oleh, Isoko South
Local Government Area of
Delta State, as hundreds
of women of the community
marched round major
streets of the town, demanding
justice in the
killing of 12 indigenes of
the community.
Clad in black attires, the
protesting women displayed
placards and
leaves, chanting songs of
grievances, as they
moved to the Isoko South
Council secretariat, the
palace of the Odio-Ologbo
of the kingdom, HRM
Anthony Ovrawah l; the
Oleh Divisional Police
headquarters, before terminating
at the Oleh
roundabout axis of the
Ughelli-Asaba expressway.
The women lamented
what they described as
the lackadaisical attitude
of the state government
towards the matter, calling
on the government,
State Commissioner of Police,
the Inspector General
of Police to fish out and
bring the perpetrators of
the killings to book without
further delay.
Speaking during the
protest, the women leader,
Mrs Juliana Itewo
benefits from gas exploration and
exports, the host communities
should not be left to continually
suffer the brunt of gas flaring and
other related activities.
To this end, the deputy governor
urged the federal government
and oil companies to pay
the desired attention to oil producing
states and communities
through effective planning and
implementation of sustainable
and standard hydrocarbon policies.
His words, "Clearly, we have
not gotten as much as we expected
from the exploration of
crude oil. So, the thinking now is
that, we have to go into gas. But
going into gas, how ready are we?
Have we learnt the lessons associated
with the over 60 years of
oil exploration and exploitation?"
"As you come here today for
this academic gymnastics, we
expect that at the end of the
day, the policy document you
will churn out will not only
help us optimize the gas value
chain but also ensure that
all the mistakes that characterized
our years of crude oil
exploration do not come to
bare."
said: "Our husbands, children,
mothers, innocent
souls were killed on 16
October, 2020 while in
search of their daily bread
in the farm and since the
attack, government has
not done or said anything
about it.
"Since the incident, we have
not been able to go to our
farms. Hunger is killing our
people". While noting that justice
delayed was justice denied,
she said, "We are calling on
government to come out and
fish out the killers."
At his palace, Odio-Ologbo of
the kingdom, HRM Ovrawah
l, commended the women for
the peaceful protest. He urged
the people of the community
to remain calm, saying "be assured
that God will fight for us."