BAUCHI State governor Bala Muhammad has been called out for allegedly disregarding the report of the #EndSARS panel, constituted to investigate cases of police brutality in the state.
The allegation was made in a statement titled, ‘Abandonment of the report of the END SARS panel in Bauchi State and the total disregard of human rights and its future implication on security and youths restiveness’.
The statement, issued by a lawyer, S.G Idrees, was dated August 16, 2022.
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According to Idrees, the governor neglected the report of the Justice Habibu Idris-led panel.
Noting that his Chambers, S. G. Idress & Co, was among those who presented petitions before the panel, the lawyer bemoaned the failure of the governor to acknowledge the panel’s recommendations.
“When the End SARS Panel was inaugurated in October 2020, many peace loving people in Nigeria and Bauchi State in particular thought an opportunity for them to get a long awaited justice and redress for years of police brutality has finally come home to roost.
“The Panel was well assembled in Bauchi State consisting of very sound and well-articulated men of immeasurable wealth of experience comprising of retired Justice as Chairman, retired Commissioner of Police, Chief Magistrate, Senior Counsels from Ministry of Justice, Senior Members of the Bar, Senior Civil Servants retired and serving. Just looking at the composition one will expect and think of a serious venture, but that is not to be in the end after tedious months of serious engagement, deliberation, presentation of Petitions, witnesses, evidences and so forth and so on,” parts of the statement read.
Idrees, who said the panel was inaugurated along with a Trust Fund for victims of police brutality, noted that its report has been ready for over six months.
According to him, the panel heard 26 petitions and struck out six petitions out of 32 petitions it received.
“The recommendations of the Panel to the Governor of Bauchi State on all the Petitions entertained by it is now ready awaiting submission to the Governor for onward transmission to the Federal Government. And since that is yet to be done, it will be foolhardy for us to blame the Federal Government for deceiving Nigerians or Bauchi State citizens on the issue.
“We wish to call on the attention of the Governor of Bauchi State and remind him of his solemn oath of office, which is valid until the 29th day of May, 2023. In which period he is not only expected as a Muslim, to only be accountable to man, but equally to the creator of man.
“The summation of this letter is to draw your attention to your responsibility to your people who trusted you with their lives and general well being, so as to hasten things up before it is too late to rectify,” the statement added.
Efforts by The ICIR to get the reaction of the Bauchi State government were not successful.
Raji Olatunji is a Journalist at The International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR). You can send him an email at rolatunji@icirnigeria.org. He tweets @olazrajj
