•••Recommends N699. 5 Million For 170 Beneficiaries
The Anambra State EndSARS panel led by Retired Justice Veronica Ume, has submitted its report to Gov. Willie Obiano.
The panel recommended a total of N669.5 million compensation for 170 beneficiaries.
The panel also recommended N5million to N10million compensation to each bereaved family of dead victims.
EndSARS victims with permanent deformity, she said, would receive between N1million to N3million depending on the degree of injuries sustained, while those with minor injuries would get between N400, 000 to N1million.
Presenting the report to the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Solo Chukwudebelu, Justice Ume said that N699, 500, 000 was recommended for 170 beneficiaries ( petitioners) of the EndSARS while 130 petitioners’ petitions were discharged based on the fact that their petitions were out of purview of terms of reference or pending in court.
According to her, “All EndSARS policemen found culpable will be prosecuted even as all officers and men of the Nigerian Police force will be going on annual psychological examination.
“Policemen who refused to obey their seniors should be punished and confiscated properties of EndSARS victims released to the victims,” she stated.
The panel chairman added also that, “there should be “forensic examination of Awkuzu and Nnewi SARS offices where extra judicial killings took place and the policemen involved in the killings prosecuted.”
In his response, Prof. Chukwudebelu said that, that the Government would study the report and make necessary recommendations.
“Be rest assured that the in-coming goverent will work with the out-going government”
“I commend the panel chairman, members and the youths for a suuccessful work done, Federal Government is interested in the outcome of the panel’s report,”
“It will not be the government that set up the panel that will implement the recommendation but be rest assured that the in-coming government will work with the out-going one’, he stated.
In his vote of thanks, a member of the panel and Anglican Bishop, Diocese of Niger West, Rt Rev J, N. Ekwe, commended those who contributed to the panel report.
He stressed the need for its implementation to serve as deterrent to would be future offenders.
Speaking also, another member of the panel and State chairman of civil liberties Organization, CLO, comrade Vincent Ezekwueme said that, “the defunct SARS maimed, assaulted, extorted, killed, kidnapped and caused severe fear on innocent Nigerians in the name of fighting crimes and criminality.”
“They committed the worst atrocities ever and got away with them as their authority failed to checkmate them.”
“What we heard from the petitioners were mostly chilling tales one could never have thought of; agony and bloody tales of slaughter and disappearance of suspects in police custody.
“A lot of the petitioners lost their parents, brothers, friends, relations, neighbours and sisters to these men in very mysterious circumstances.”