By Emma Okereh
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),Thursday performed a unique function of one of its mandates when it paid the sum of one hundred and forty six million (146 milion) Naira to to twenty seven persons whose rights were violated, abused, extra judicially killed by the operatives of disbanded SARS.
This came as the Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations against SARS and other units of the Nigerian police panels, closes sine dine.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Barr Tony Ojukwu stated that the panel was a product of the EndSARS protest.
He explained that the commission adopted the recommendations of the panel inorder to sanitize the society and discourage impunity by state actors, saying that when there is violation, it must be remedied.
He noted that the monetary compensation cannot replace the loss, humiliation and agony of the victims but just a way of telling the victims that the commission and indeed, the country is with them.
Ojukwu also revealed that the money paid to the victims is from the commission as the federal government tidies its end.
Justifying the action of the commission, he said, ‘’ NHRC feels fulfilled today. It is an epoch making event. We are determined to change the narrative that impunity cant continue. That succor should be brought to Nigerians whose rights are violated thereby promoting good governance, restore the dignity of man’’.
In his remarks, chairman of the panel, Honourable Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd), expressed delight that the commission accepted its recommendations including the aspect of compensation.
He stated that the panel received 297 petitions from 29 states of the federation. He further stated that before the panel adjourned sine dine, it treated fifty percent of the petitions amounting to 144 petitions.
At the presentation ceremony, twenty petitions received compensations. Some of the petitions were consolidated including that of the Apo Six and others amounting to twenty seven people..
He stated that paying compensation is just one leg of its recommendations as it is in three parts. He named them as follows: Institutional Justice for Police disciplinary action, prosecutorial which lies within the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Civil Remedy which is payment of compensation noting that no amount can remedy the loss, trauma, death and humiliation of victims.
The amount of compensation paid, ranged from five hundred thousand Naira to fifteen million Naira.
The Authority notes that some victims of the same extra judicial killings for example, received different amount of compensation, a situation the panel described as ‘justice of the case’.
