The panel investigating alleged human rights violations committed by the police has awarded a fine of ₦575.8 million against the force to the victims of police brutality.
The panel was set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in October 2020 to investigate allegations of human rights abuses against the disbanded special anti-robbery squad (SARS) following the #ENDSARS protests.
The deputy director of public affairs in NHRC, Fatimah Mohammed in a statement on Friday, said the panel led by Suleiman Galadima, a retired judge of the supreme court, considered 20 of the petitions at its executive session on Thursday.
She said the cases bordered on extrajudicial killing, unlawful arrest, detention, torture, among other issues.
She said the panel “agreed that the victims of human rights who got court judgments should be paid”.
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“The executive session considered 20 out of the 44 petitions on non-adherence by the police of court judgments awarding compensations to victims of human rights violations, and decisions were made on each of the petitions otherwise known as judgment debts,” Mohammed said.
“The petitions on judgment debts of about N575.8million were considered ranging from the award of ₦200 million to ₦120,000 of cases bordering on extrajudicial killing, unlawful arrest and detention.
