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Osun governor inaugurates 12-man panel of inquiry on police brutality

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The Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, on Thursday, inaugurated a 12-man judicial panel of inquiry to look into alleged brutality and other forms of rights abuses by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

Oyetola said the establishment of the panel was in line with Section 21 of the Commission of Inquiry Law Cap 29. Laws of State of Osun 2002 and the Federal Government’s directive to all the 36 governors and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

The panel headed by a retired judge of the state’s High Court, Justice Akin Oladimeji, has six months to complete its assignment.

The governor said the panel would receive and investigate complaints of police brutality, human rights violations and extrajudicial killings.

It will also evaluate evidence presented by members of the public along with other surrounding circumstances, and draw conclusions on the validity of the complaints.

Oyetola urged members of the panel to approach the assignment with the highest sense of responsibility, fairness, and integrity.

READ ALSO: #EndSARS: Oyetola imposes 24-hour curfew on Osun

He said: “I, therefore, urge members of the public to come out to make presentations to the panel in the interest of justice.

“The modus operandi for exercising this right by members of the public shall be communicated to them by the panel.

“I assure you all that the recommendations of the panel shall be implemented to the letter and with dispatch in line with the requirements of justice administration and delivery.

“On this note, let me appeal to our youths, who are the genuine protesters to give us a chance to run through this process by suspending their street protests.

“This, the government believes, will aid the security operatives to rid our state of miscreants who had hijacked the protest for other pecuniary gains.”

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