By Our Correspondent
The Oyo State Governor 'Seyi Makinde on Wednesday, granted a scholarship to one of the victims of police brutality in the state, a 23-year old Samuel Ogundeji, as part of the ENDSARS recommendation reports presented to him.
While receiving the reports which were submitted to him by the Panel's chairman, Justice Badejoko Adeniji (rtd), at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor's Office in Ibadan, Governor Makinde assured of prompt implementation of the reports for adequate restitution.
Ogundeji, a blind student of the Federal College Of Education (Special ), Oyo, was brutalised and slapped several times by men of the proscribed Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) after being falsely accused of stealing a bankers wallet at an hotel in Saki which resulted in his blindness.
Makinde promised that the brutalized boy would be given a stipend through out the duration of his study in addition to the scholarship from the state government .
He also noted that men of the Nigeria Police Force who lost their lives during the protest will be taken care of even if there are no clear recommendations on it by the panel.
Governor Makinde subsequently requested the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ngozi Onadeko to compile list of policemen in the state that were victims of the incident.
According to him, policemen are members of the society and their lives should not be seen as amounting to nothing whether they are the cause of the problem or not.
He appreciated the panel for a job well done, assuring that the report would not be swept under the carpet as action will taken toward the implementation of the report
"The first way to solve a problem is to first identify the problem. That was the first step we took as a government. Before, issues like these were swept under the carpet," he said.
The chairman of the judicial panel, Hon. Justice Adeniji had in her speech, while stating some the achievements of the panel, stated that the panel members sought and got admission for the said victim to study political science and paid his first semester fees, accommodation, feeding and clothing, among others.
She declared that 151 petitions were received, while 121 of the petitions were heard to finality and were adjourned sine die for award and compensations.
According to her, thirsty petitions were struck out due to lack of diligent prosecution by the petitioners, withdrawal of petitions amicably settled and those that are subject to litigation status pending in various courts in the land.
She said the Panel recommended the award of compensations into five categories namely, death, permanent physical injuries, loss of valuable items, victims undergoing medical or surgical treatment and unlawful detention and other human rights violations.
The report according to her, is categorised into two volumes, 1and 1A, while volume 1 contains petitions by victims resident in the state brutalized, victimised and tortured by men of the state security network, Amotekun, volume 1A contains petitions also from residents who suffered same fate in the hands of men the disbanded Special Anti -Robbery Squad ( SARS), state the police command and the Intelligence Response Team of the office of the Inspector-General of Police who arrested and whisked away alleged victims to Abuja.
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