The NHRC announced that the PSC has committed to taking disciplinary measures against SARS officers indicted by the Presidential Panel following the 2020 EndSARS protest. The Executive Secretary, Prof. Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu, made this revelation during the launch of the #EndSARS Judicial Panel Review Report, a joint effort by the NHRC, Enough is Enough (EiE), and other partners in Abuja.
The Presidential Panel on SARS recommended that the AGF and PSC should prosecute the indicted officers or impose disciplinary actions under the PSC’s jurisdiction. Ojukwu also expressed concerns about the challenges faced by the panel, including a lack of political will among elites and impunity among some alleged culprits who ignored panel summons.
He called upon panels in different states to submit their reports and compensate victims as appropriate. The NHRC revealed that the panel in Abuja had already paid N431,884,094 as compensation to 100 victims of police brutality.
In a positive development, the Police Service Commission recently assured the NHRC of its commitment to taking appropriate disciplinary actions against those indicted for human rights violations and abuse of office. This news coincides with the launch of the #EndSARS Judicial Panel Review Report, which also serves as a commemoration of the 2020 EndSARS protests.
Yemi Adamolekun, the Executive Director of Enough is Enough (EiE), emphasized the importance of implementing the recommendations of the States’ Judicial Panels of Inquiry into Police Brutality at the national level. She called for accountability of police officers, swift disciplinary actions against violators, police force reform, and stronger independent oversight mechanisms, including public participation in oversight processes.
