BACKGROUND:
flowing from the agitation to put an end to the alleged violations of Human Rights
by the Special Anti-Robbery Squared (SARS) and other units of the police, on the
recommendation of the National Executive Council (NEC) chaired by the Vice-
President, a Judicial Panel of Enquiry was set up to investigate acts of brutality
and rights violations perpetrated by operatives of the defunct Special Anti-
Robbery Squad (SARS). It was the recommendation of (NEC) that the panel be set
up in all the 36 states of the Federation including the Federal Capital Territory. In
exception of 5 states in the North-West region, comprising of Kano, Jigawa, Kebbi,
Sokoto and Zamfara, the panel of enquiry was set up in all other states of the
Federation.
Lawyers Alert, a Human Rights Organization, whose mission is ‘To empower
women and vulnerable groups through knowledge of their rights and accessible
means of enforcing the same, took up the responsibility of representing women
appearing before the panel in all the 36 states of the federation.
CASE 3:
JACENTHA MELLADU VS A.I.G ZONE 4 (BSJPI/040/21)
FACTS: The petitioner in 2016, was arrested, harassed, intimidated, detained and
subjected to further inhuman treatment by men of the Nigerian Police Force in
Makurdi the Benue state capital. She filed an action in court with motion No:
MHC/127/2016 for enforcement of her fundamental rights. The court in
judgment, awarded the sum of N500,000.00 to the petitioner, the said sum the
police has refused to honour. The petitioner has approached the Judicial panel of
inquiry to seek justice and compel the police to honour the judgement of the
court.
CASE 4
WANDOO TERDOO TYOKUN VS SARS (BSJPI/40/20)
FACTS: The petitioner has approached the panel for justice over the extra judicial
killing of her husband by men of SARS in 2019.
CASE 5
MONICA ERDOO MAASHIN VS COP BENUE (BSJPI/062/21)
FACTS: The petitioner has approached the court to demand justice for the
extrajudicial killing of her younger brother by men of SARS in 2015 and deposited
his corps at the Federal medical center Makurdi mortuary with tally number 224
with an instruction for the body not to be released. The petitioner has
approached the panel to seek redress and demand for the release of the corps of
her brother so they could observe proper funeral rite for the deceased
OUTCOME:
The proceedings at the panel were scheduled to terminate on the 28 th day of May
2021. However, due to the industrial strike action embarked upon by the Judicial
staff union of Nigeria (JUSUN), there was an extension of 3 months for hearing of
petitions.
The Judicial Panel of Inquiry sitting in Makurdi the Benue state capital finally
terminated on the 15 th day of August 2021. The reports have been compiled but
are yet to be sent to the Office of the Executive Governor for undisclosed reasons.
Once the reports are submitted to the office of the Governor, there will be an
onward transmission of same to the National Economic Council where
implementation and disbursement will be carried out.