The EndSARS panel in Abuja has kicked against the failure of the Nigerian police to appear before the Independent Investigative Panel.
The panel is investigating allegations of Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other Units of the Nigeria Police Force.
In November 2020, the Federal Government set up the panel following the #EndSARS Protest which was triggered by nationwide allegations of police brutality. In Abuja, the panel had on December 23, 2021, adjourned sitting and resumed on March 1, 2022.
However, the secretary of the Abuja Panel, Mr Hillary Ogbonna, expressed the feeling of the panel to newsmen on the failure of police to be present at the panel sitting on Thursday.
Ogbonna expressed surprise that none of the police officials needed was present at the panel in spite of the efforts by the panel to deliver its assigned tasks at a stipulated period.
According to him, if this non-punctuality attitude of the police becomes a pattern, it is capable of bringing setback to the mandate of the panel.
“The panel will continue to engage the police authority and other stakeholders to seek their cooperation to ensure that justice is done to the victims of police brutality.
“The records of the entire proceedings especially todays’ will be given to the police without any charge,” he said.
