The recent award of N147 million in compensation to 27 victims of police brutality by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) panel is a good step towards healing and ensuring justice for the victims. It will also help to curb police brutality and impunity in Nigeria. The verdict of the panel, which investigated the violations of human rights by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units, has shown that Nigerians will no longer tolerate inhuman and degrading treatment, particularly extra-judicial killings, by security operatives.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mr. Anthony Ojukwu, put it succinctly when he said, “By compensating the victims, NHRC is out to change the narrative of impunity. The commission is ready to provide remedy where Nigerians’ rights are violated. Where there is violation, there must be remedy. The commission has begun a journey to restore human dignity.”
We agree with the assertion and commend the 11-member panel for fair judgement. The Secretary of the panel, Hillary Ogbonna, said the panel awarded the ‘Apo Six’ victims N500,000 each. According to him, seven victims of extra-judicial killings and five victims of enforced disappearance, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment were compensated. Some others are five victims of illegal arrests, and prolonged detention, three victims of confiscation of property and 20 others who were threatened. The panel also set up a trust fund of N5 million for a little girl who was reportedly struck by police stray bullets. The compensation awarded, he added, varied from N500,000 to N15 million.
Although the amount awarded in compensation is meagre, we acknowledge the statement of the Chairman of panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd) that what the panel released so far was not a comprehensive report and that the monetary compensation was part of many other recommendations. We hope that the final report will address the issue.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters had similarly awarded compensations to the victims of police brutality. A total of N410 million was awarded to 70 victims of police brutality in the state. The Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi, said the compensation was part of the gesture of the state government to ease victims of the pain suffered from brutal police officers. Some of the victims got up to N10 million as compensation. The panel had submitted its report on November 15, 2021.
Over the years, the police, especially the now defunct SARS, had subjected many Nigerians to different kinds of torture, intimidation, extortion and extra-judicial killings. They routinely stopped young Nigerians on the expressway, searched their phones or laptops under the guise of looking for “Yahoo boys” and extorted money from them. There are many examples of this inhuman treatment.
Sometimes, security operatives employ such torture methods as hanging, shootings and mock executions to extract bribes and confessions from their victims. In 2019, the police from the anti-cultism unit of the Lagos Police Command killed one Kolade Johnson at the Onipetesi, Mangoro area of Lagos. Residents of the area went on the rampage prompting the Police authorities in the state to dismiss the alleged killer cop. They later handed him over to Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, for prosecution.
Arising from unrestrained police brutality, Nigerian youths rose in protest in October 2020 against it. Tagged #EndSARS, the protests swept through different parts of the country. While we commend the NHRC for the steps taken so far, we note that financial compensation is not the only thing that is needed for justice to prevail. The government should do everything possible to avoid a repeat of such police brutality in future. Besides, all the states that set up judicial panels should endeavour to act on their reports.
We hope that with the various reforms of the police and the recent increase in their salary, the issue of police brutality and extortion will be a thing of the past. Last year, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the Nigeria Police Bill 2020. Section 37 of the Act stipulates that a suspect shall be accorded humane treatment and not be subjected to any form of torture or degrading treatment. This is the minimum standard Nigerians expect from the police force.