Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has inaugurated a judicial panel on brutality and human rights violations.

The panel, which is headed by Justice Doris Okuwob (rtd), will sit for six months was set up to investigate cases of brutality and human rights violations committed by operatives of the dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Other members of the judicial panel include Ebun Adegboruwa, (SAN), representing the Civil Society; Taiwo Lakanu, a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police; Patience Udoh, representing the Civil Society; Segun Awosanya, Human Rights Activist; Olutoyin Odusanya – Director, Lagos Citizens’ Mediation Centre; two representatives of the protesting youth; and a representative of the National Human Rights Commission.

_{At the inauguration ceremony @jidesanwoolu on Twitter}

Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the swiftness of the composition and inauguration of the panel members was an indication of his administration’s sincerity towards the quick resolution of issues that led to the nationwide protests against policing system.

He said: “In the last two weeks, we have witnessed pockets of justified protests by our youth against police brutality. The pain of our young ones has been felt in various parts of Lagos and country as well as in the diaspora. The protesters have spoken in one voice against the unbridled violation of fundamental rights and lives by the disbanded SARS operatives.

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“In my engagements with the protesters, they handed me a list of five immediate demands, which I personally presented to President Muhammadu Buhari last Tuesday. Before then, I had taken action on some of their demands, which included the immediate release of all those detained on account of their participation in the EndSARS protests and the raising of N200 million victims fund for compensation to families and individuals who were victimised by officers of the disbanded SARS.

_{At the inauguration ceremony @jidesanwoolu on Twitter}

“In response to one of the demands of our youth and in line with the resolution of the National Economic Council on October 15, 2020, chaired by the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, the Lagos State Government has constituted a Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution under the chairmanship of a retired Judge of the Lagos High Court, Justice Doris Okuwobi. We assure all victims that justice will be served.”

The tribunal, which will sit for six months, is charged to evaluate the evidence and draw conclusions on the validity of public complaints on police brutality and extra judicial killings in Lagos, with the aim to determining and recommending compensation for victims and their dependents.

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Mr. Segun Awosanya, a Human Rights activist, could not be sworn in with other panel members, as he was held in traffic while coming for the event.

Also, the representatives of the youth in the panel had not been nominated by the protesters at the time tribunal members were sworn. The protesters pleaded for more time to send the names of their nominees, four days after the State Government reached out to them to provide their representatives.

Tribunal members who took the oath include Mr. Ebun Adegboruwa, SAN (representing the Civil Society), Taiwo Lakanu (a retired Deputy Inspector General of Police), Ms Patience Udoh (representing the Civil Society), Mrs. Olutoyin Odusanya (Director, Lagos Citizens Mediation Center), and the representative of the Human Rights Commission.