EndSARS: Osun Judicial Panel of Inquiry begins sitting with five petitions
…urges petitioners on truthfulness, honesty, factuality
The State of Osun Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Related Extra Judicial Killings on Thursday commenced hearing on the various petitions and submissions brought before it by members of the public.
The panel began the hearing with five different petitions submitted by victims of police brutality and other human rights violations.
It will be recalled that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had on Thursday 22nd of October, 2020, inaugurated a 13-man panel with a mandate to unravel all matters related to police brutality, disbanded officers and men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) among other related cases.
According to the Government, the panel has six months to entertain and complete all the findings, investigations and cases filed before it.
Delivering his inaugural sitting speech at the Council of Obas’ Chamber, Finance Building, Government Secretariat, Osogbo, the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Akin Oladimeji (retired), said the panel had since its inauguration received five petitions and submissions from members of the public.
He noted that the panel was fully prepared to deliver the statutory mandate conferred on it to ensure justice, fairness and equity in all the cases before it.
The retired High Court Judge who said the mandate of the panel was to investigate the brutality of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) against some members of the public, said the panel would not act as a regular court of law where law is strictly applied to cases but rather, function as a fact finding panel.
“This panel is not a regular court of law where law is strictly applied to cases but rather, a fact finding panel. Therefore, it is the duty of every petitioner and in fact all parties who present petitions and defence before this panel to bring all facts and evidence in support
