Investigative Panel on SARS Holds Executive Session on Judgement Debts

Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri

The Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the disbanded special anti-robbery squad and other units of the Nigeria Police Force (IIP-SARS) yesterday held an executive session to consider petitions on judgment debts.

The purpose of the executive session is to fast-track the process of payment of compensations to victims of human rights violations with court judgments that have not been paid by the police.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice

Sulaiman Galadima (rtd), presided over the executive session on petitions relating to the enforcement of judicial decisions/awards.

This is the second time the panel is considering petitions on judgment debts. The first one was in March 2021, when 20 petitions on judgment debts amounting to ₦575.8million were considered. Some of them have been paid and others are in the process of being paid.

The Secretary to the panel, who also doubles as the Human Rights Adviser to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna, disclosed that today’s executive session considered 35 petitions on non-adherence to court judgment by the police.

He said the judgment debts of about ₦452 million were considered on petitions with monetary compensation ranging from the award of the sum of ₦120,000 to ₦135 million. Petitions bothering on extrajudicial killing, unlawful arrest and detention, cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment and torture, alleged enforced disappearance, confiscation of property among others were considered.

He said it is worthy of note that the executive session will only deliberate on petitions with judgments from the federal and state high courts, adding: “It will also look at the authenticity of such judgments as well as ensure that no appeal has been made on the petitions before they are considered for payments, taking into consideration the genuineness of the documents presented before the panel.”

 Ogbonna added: “The panel believes that the victims of human rights violations who got court judgments should be paid. The move to ensure that these debts are paid is simply to entrench the rule of law by giving the victims who have suffered emotional psychological and physical trauma what is their legal entitlements and to forestall further delay in the dispensation of justice. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Apart from assisting the victims of human rights violations to get their compensation, Ogbonna said the panel has also taken a decision to order the police authorities to issue apologies to some of the petitioners who have issuance of apology as part of their compensation.