Presidential panel approves state police, SERAP, CACOL seek NASS action

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday gave the Inspector-General of Police, Ministry of Justice and National Human Rights Commission three months to work out the modalities for the implementation of the report of the Presidential Panel on the Reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

The panel, which was chaired by the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Mr Tony Ojukwu, had in conjunction with the commission, investigated allegations of human rights violations by SARS.

In the report of the panel submitted to Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, it recommended among others, the establishment of state/local government police and various reforms to make SARS more citizen-friendly.

Shortly after the panel submitted its report to the President on Monday, some civil and human rights groups called on the National Assembly to take action.

The panel also recommended that SARS should be renamed Anti-Robbery Section and should operate under the Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Police as it was hitherto.

Panel recommends dismissal of 37 police officers, prosecution of 24 others

The panel recommended the dismissal of 37 police accused of violating the rights of Nigerians from service and the prosecution of 24 others for abuses.

Another recommendation was that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Mohammed Adamu, should fish out 22 other officers accused of violating the rights of citizens.

It also asked the Nigeria Police to pay compensation to 45 complainants, in addition to tendering public apologies and complying with court orders in 10 separate cases.

President gives three months’ deadline

While receiving the report, the President noted that since the recommendations of the NHRC was actionable in court, he had given a directive for the modalities for the implementation of the report to be worked out within three months.

He stated, “I want to thank the panel once more, and hereby direct that since the recommendations of the commission that constituted the panel are enforceable as decisions of the court, that the Inspector-General of Police and the Solicitor General of the Federation/Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Justice, should meet with the commission to work out the modalities for the implementation of the report within three months from today.”