Osinbajo, governors to meet over #EndSARS panel reports

The national executive (NEC) council says it will convene a special session for the implementation of the reports by judicial panels established by state governments to investigate cases of police brutality.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who is the head of the council, announced the development, in a statement by Laolu Akande, his media aide, after the council meeting on Thursday.

The council is made up of 36 state governors and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and it is charged with the responsibility of advising the president on necessary measures for coordinating the economy.

In October 2020, the council agreed to establish judicial panels in states including the federal capital territory (FCT) to investigate cases of police brutality and compensate victims.

The decision was made in the wake of the #EndSARS protests as many youths took to the streets in different parts of the country to call for the disbandment of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS).

Eight months after the decision, NEC said some judicial panels have started submitting their reports, noting that the special session will “consider the implementation of the reports including remedies, redress and compensations”.

“As judicial panels set up by State Governors to resolve issues of police brutality and related concerns across the country round up their assignments, the National Economic Council (NEC) is set to convene a special session to review reports of the panels that have now started coming to the council,” the statement said.

“The Vice President at today’s meeting announced that a special session of NEC will soon be convened to consider all the reports that are ready from the judicial panels set up late last year to address the concerns of the Nigerian people on police brutality allegations and other related issues.

“That meeting would also consider the implementation of the reports including remedies, redress and compensations.”

According to data obtained from Enough is Enough (EiE), 29 states and the FCT constituted #EndSARS panels, but no panel was set up in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara.

As of May 2021, 11 states have concluded sitting, while 18 states and the FCT have not concluded hearing.

The panel in Kogi has not had proceedings since inauguration.