Human Rights & FreedomNewsKogi Panel Submits #EndSARS Report To Yahaya Bello

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The Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission (PDCRC) on Friday submitted its report of the #EndSARS protests in Kogi State to Governor Yahaya Bello.

#EndSARS is a decentralised social movement and series of mass protests against police brutality in Nigeria. The slogan calls for the disbanding of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a notorious unit of the Nigerian Police with a long record of abuse of Nigerian citizens.

The protests were held across the country between October and November 2020.

Abdullahi Zakari, Director General of the PDCRC, while speaking at the event at the Government House in Lokoja, said the commission set up the Human Rights Special Interventions Committee, inaugurated on October 15, 2020, on the directive of the governor.

According to him, the main objective of the committee is to deal with matters arising from the #EndSARS protests in 2020.

Mr. Zakari, who noted that the committee entertained 12 petitions during its sittings, said the report contains the identified immediate and remote causes of the protests, as well as appropriate recommendations to the government on what to do to prevent such protests from occuring in the future.

“We identified the immediate and remote causes of the protests and also made recommendations for the purposes of implementation, so that such occurrence will be minimised, if not completely stopped, in years ahead,” he said.

He further added, “In all, the recommendations would go a long way into resolving some of the issues that undermined the #EndSARS protests that swept across the country.”

In his remarks, Governor Yahaya Bello, who was represented by Dr Folashade Ayoade, Secretary to the State Government, commended the PDCRC for a job well done, assuring that the state government would look into the recommendations for implementation.

“I want to assure you that every recommendation therein will be well noted and carried out, because of my strong belief in promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights,” he said.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Mohammed (SAN), lauded the commission for a job well done by putting up the #EndSARS report, assuring them of the state government’s continuous support and without any interference in delivering their mandates.

In his own remarks, the Acting Chief Judge, Justice Josiah Majebi, applauded the governor for being proactive, by ensuring that human rights were promoted, protected and enforced, in the state without interference.

He assured the commission of the total support of the judiciary in its bid to deliver justice for the vulnerable and indigent residents and citizens of the state.

The PDCRC chairman, Ibrahim Alhassan, in his vote of thanks, thanked the governor for creating the enabling environment for the committee to operate.

By Ezinwanne Onwuka (Senior Reporter)

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