ENDSARS: Investigative Panel urges IGP to pay condolence visit to victim’s family

The Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, sitting in Abuja has ordered Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, IGP to set up a high powered delegation to pay a condolence visit to the family of a former Senator, Nenadi Usman over the killing of her niece, Anita Akapson.

This is sequel to a  petition filed by the family of George Deyjih Akapson and a former Minister, Senator Usman on behalf of her niece, late Miss Anita Akapson.

According to Anita’s mother, since the incident occurred no delegation from the Nigerian Police to condole the family.

In the petition, the family alleged that the late Anita was extra-judicially killed in Abuja, the nation’s capital by Mr Godwin Ngochukwu Wagozie of the FCT Police Command on October 13, 2018.

“The family wants a N5 billion naira compensation to assuage the trauma the family has passed through even though no amount of money can bring Anita back to life,“ she said.

Chairman of the Panel, Retired Justice Sulaiman Galadima in a ruling adjourned the case indefinitely and ordered the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory’s Command to constitute a high powered delegation to visit Anita’s family.

Meanwhile Counsel to the Nigerian Police, James Idachaba informed the Panel that the respondent, Mr. Godwin Ngochukwu Wagozie was dismissed by the Police Force, convicted and sentenced to 16 years imprisonment by a Federal Capital Territory’s Court sitting in Zuba, a suburb of Abuja.

It would be recalled that following the nationwide protests against police brutality, tagged #EndSARS, in Nigeria, one of the demands of the protesters was an establishment of a panel of judicial enquiry to try officers who have been involved in cases of human rights violations and to give justice to victims and their families.

It is based on this that the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, set up the Independent Investigative panel on rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad SARS.

PIAK