The Ogun State Judicial Panel of Investigation set up by the state government will commence sitting on Thursday.
The panel will hear cases of extrajudicial activities by the police, especially operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Mrs Oluwatosin .T. Ogundele, Secretary of the panel, while promising transparency and openness said the sitting will take place three times in a week.
She said, “This is to inform the general public that the Judicial Panel of Investigation set up by the Ogun State Government to investigate complaints of victims on brutality and human rights violations would be having its first sitting on Thursday, 5th November, 2020.
“The panel’s sitting days would be Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays starting by 10am at the Magistrate Court 1, Isabo, Abeokuta.
“The sittings would be transparent and open. Media stations are invited to witness and cover the sittings while COVID-19 protocols must be observed.”
She invited members of the public to submit petitions on police brutality to the panel.
#Endsars protesters in Osun State have accused the Osun state government of influencing and manipulating members of the judicial panel of enquiry to listen to cases of extrajudicial activities of security personnel in the state.
The protesters also accused the government of sponsoring an unknown body to impersonate the protesters and pledge allegiance to the state government.
The protesters in a statement released by its spokesperson, Olawale Bakare (Mandate); Mobilisation Secretary, Olushayo Ogunleye; and Chairperson, Finance/Welfare Committee, Queen Fisayo; said it received with huge shock the announcement of the suspension of the protest.
Describing the judicial panel as “unpopular and controversial egression”, the youth said the panel is vested to defend the government’s interest against the people.
The #ENDSARS protesters therefore demanded that the membership of the panel be reviewed.
They said, “We demand that the membership of this panel be immediately reviewed. Many of the characters being appointed have never been part of the demonstrations so far and their antecedent is loud enough to stand them out of any pro-masses activity.
“The members of the panel such as the members of the ignoble and shady Nigeria Police Force that we are still battling with are present in the panel. The reprobatory and unsavoury member of the Bench is also in that panel; meanwhile none of the active protesters are neither in the panel nor satisfactorily represented.
“These people, we believe, don’t understand the plight of the masses because they have never been on the part of the masses.
“They say he who pays the piper dictates the tune. The fact that the government of Osun pays each panelist N100,000 per sitting is nothing but an attempt to buy their voices and further buttress the heinous agenda to promote the government’s interest against the people.”
The group stated that the impersonators were never part of the protesters neither were they part of the decision makers of the #ENDSARS protest in Osun State.
The group added, “In fact, they were brought from nowhere to misrepresent we the genuine protesters.
“This set of persons were handpicked by the government so they could do their illicit bidding, cause confusion and mislead the public.
“We will like to put this in clear terms, that these set of characters should desist from impersonation as the Movement won’t hesitate to engage in legal actions to prosecute these potential criminals.
“Let it be known that the revolutionary train of EndSARS, Osun State is no respecter of anybody, we are loyal to nothing or nobody but justice and humanity.”
The youth, however, urged the state government to desist from using cheap blackmail and the misrepresentation of the protesters’ position to mislead the public, cause confusion and bury their political misdemeanour.
It advised the government to address the matter raised by the protest rather than resorting to contracting some persons, who parade themselves as #EndSARS protesters to dish out government-sponsored press statements.
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