Senate considers bill seeking to compensate victims of #EndSARS protest

A bill seeking to compensate victims of #EndSARS protest has passed the second reading at the senate.

Sponsored by Gershom Bassey, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator from Cross River, the bill seeks to amend the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) act.

While leading the debate on the bill on Wednesday, Bassey said the proposed legislation seeks to establish the #EndSARS victims’ compensation fund.

“Distinguished colleagues, you may recall that as a result of the #Endsars nationwide protests in October 2020, judicial panels of inquiry were constituted to address the demands of protesters and compensation for verified victims of the EndSARS protest,” the lawmaker said.

“The findings of the judicial panels of inquiry and the senate joint committee on #Endsars revealed the killing of protesters, and destruction of private and public properties by rampaging hoodlums, who seized and took over the protest, vandalising and looting valuable assets.

“However, the implementation of the recommendations of all the panels and committees regarding compensation has been very discouraging.”

Bassey said the victims of the #EndSARS protest were suffering because they have not been compensated.

The legislator argued that the establishment of the fund would salvage the pains of the victims.

“It is my prayer that you support this amendment bill that seeks to bring hope to the victims of the 2020 EndSARS protest,” he said.

The lawmakers voted in support of the bill when it was put to a voice vote by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Lawan referred the bill to the committee on special duties for further legislative work.

In October 2020, there was a nationwide protest against police brutality, particularly regarding the operations of the disbanded special anti-robbery squad (SARS), under the #EndSARS campaign.

Some suspected hoodlums took advantage of the protest to destroy public infrastructure.

As a result of the protests, the federal government disbanded SARS and set up judicial panels of inquiry across states to probe police brutality.