Ekiti judicial panel recommends compensation for #EndSARS victim

The Ekiti State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into allegations of Human Rights Violations by Police Officers, including Officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other persons has recommended 150,000 Naira compensation to a petitioner, Mr Adaramola Abiodun Olusola.

The Chairman of the Panel, Justice Cornelius Akintayo (rtd.) who gave the recommendation during a sitting of the Panel in Ado-Ekiti, said that the recommended sum will assist the complainant in putting his car back on the road by way of repairs.

In his words: “it is our recommendation that the Government should assist this complainant in the area of putting the car back on the road by way of repairs, we recommend that the government should pay the complainant a sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira (N150,000) only for the repairs of his damaged car in the interest of Justice”

While reading the recommendations, the jurist stated that the complainant in his evidence before the panel had alleged that his car, a Peugeot 505 Salon car, Reg. No YEE 310 AA was vandalized by hoodlums at Dalimore Junction, Ado-Ekiti where he parked his car by the roadside during the #ENDSARS protest on October 19th, 2020.

He stressed further that the complainant had earlier testified before the panel that, his car was smashed and vandalized and all the glasses of the car and Bonet were damaged.

The chairman explained further that the members of the Panel rose to where the complainant car was parked for locus inspection at NOVA Road Ado, where it was observed that the front and back windscreen were completely broken with the glasses of the two windows of the rear side of the car. The complainant had prayed the panel to assist him to alleviate the cost of putting the car back on the road to the tune of N150,000, which is the cost the damage.

The panel concluded that” having considered the content of the complainant’s complaint, his oral evidence before this panel and our finding of fact during our visit to inspect the car, we have come to the conclusion that, the complainant’s car, Reg No YEE 310 AA, a Peugeot 505 salon car was damaged by hoodlums on October 19th, 2020 at Dalimore Junction, Ado Ekiti by unknown hoodlums.

The complainant, Mr Daramola Abiodun thanked the Ekiti State Government and expressed gratitude for setting up this Panel to entertain this type of complaints.

The case of Olawale Adekola and unknown persons came up for further hearing, the panel requested for the original copies of the purchase receipts of the damaged items during the End SARS protest as earlier narrated by the complainants and this was adjourned till 1st of December,2020 for further hearing. The petition of Olusola Ogunleye suing on behalf of Late Sunday Ogunleye and unknown persons was brought up for hearing, two witnesses were called, but the case was later adjourned to 8th December 2020.

The cases of Inspector Omokhua Benjamin and unknown persons, inspector Yakubu Aminu and unknown persons and Inspector Alabi Samuel and unknown persons whose properties were burnt down, damaged and vandalized respectively at Ikere Ekiti during the #ENDSARS protests were slated for locus visit at the scene of the incident. Seven (7) other cases were also adjourned till appropriate future dates as agreed by the parties to the cases. The panel rose till December 1st, 2020 for the continuation of the slated cases for the day.