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The Bayelsa State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and related extra judicial killings headed by Justice Young Emmanuel Ogola (rtd) has commenced sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, with an assurance that it will adopt the principle of rule of law by giving fair hearing to all sides of a petition.
Justice Ogola, who announced that the judicial panel had so far received 18 petitions and is still open for more till the end of January, 2021, said the panel will investigate complaints of police brutality or extra judicial killing, evaluate and draw conclusions on validity of complaints and recommend compensation and other remedial measures.
Justice Ogola made this known at the inaugural sitting of the panel at the multi-door Court Hall and in the presence of the representatives of the state chief judge, Justice M. A. Ayemieye, the attorney-general, the solicitor-general of the state, Preye Agadah, the state commissioner of Police, the deputy commissioner, Operation, Mr. Aminu Alhassan, the NBA, Barr Nelson Abali and representative of the CLO, Comrade David West.
Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mike Okoli, represented by the deputy commissioner, Operation, Mr. Aminu Alhassan, said any police personnel found culpable for extra-judicial killing in the state will be made to face the state judicial panel and the consequences thereafter.
Okoli, said any Police personnel who goes beyond his training and commit extra-judicial act should be held culpable.
He said the Police authority had never asked the personnel to commit any extra-judicial act and called on the Bayelsa Judicial Panel not to hesitate to call on the Police authority when the need arises to summon indicted personnel, retired or serving, to appear before the panel.
Solicitor-General, Preye Agadah, called on the people of the state to come out and submit their petitions in order to promote quick police reforms, adding that “it is time to come before the panel and let the police take responsibilities for their actions and inactions.
“By these, we will be assisting the process of reforms in the Nigerian police. We don’t expect the police not to appear before the panel. When the facts are clear, the police should take responsibility.”
