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The Rivers State Executive Council has submitted that police authority or operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad found guilty of brutality and other forms of human right abuses should compensate their victims.
This was part of the agreement reached after the five-man committee commissioned by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, to formulate a draft White Paper on the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated brutality and violation of fundamental human rights of citizens by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state, submitted its report to the Executive Council at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Rivers State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, SAN, while briefing newsmen shortly after the council meeting chaired by Governor Wike disclosed that the state should not be held responsible as the police was not under the control of the state government.
Adangor stated “Executive Council has already accepted the conclusion of the White Paper Committee that compensation payable to victims of police brutality should be paid by police officers, who were found culpable or by police authorities because, in law, there is no way you can hold the state (Rivers) accountable for the acts of police officers, who are not agents of the state.
“As far as the issue of compensation is concerned, any compensation payable should be paid either by the police officer involved in those acts of brutality or by the Nigerian Police Force.”
He noted that the Executive Council also directed his office to liaise with the judiciary in ensuring that quarterly reports were submitted to his office in respect of the provision under the administration of Criminal Justice Law.
The Attorney General said that some of those provisions require that the Commissioner of Police informs the Attorney General about the number of persons held in police custody and the reasons therefore on monthly basis.
This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.