From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to look into cases of police brutality and extra-judicial killings in Bayelsa State has concluded sitting with a call backing reforms of the Nigeria Police.
The panel headed by Justice Emmanuel Ogolo sat on 50 petitions filed by Bayelsans against personnel of the Nigerian Police and the military.
According to Justice Ogolo, a total of 47 rulings were secured by various petitioners against the personnel of the Bayelsa state command over alleged cases of extra-judicial killings by the police.
Three of the cases heard were however struck out by the panel for lack of diligent prosecution by the petitioners.
In one of the cases heard on Thursday over the alleged extra-judicial killing of 22- years- old, Tarila Mabinton July 10, 2020, while on an errand for his mother, Justice Ogola, in his ruling expressed dismay at the inconsistency in the claims by the police investigative officers that he was shot dead under the suspicion of armed robbery.
He pointed out that the claims by the alleged killer, Police Inspector, Ebong Otutu and the Nigerian Police were full of in constituencies and contradictions.
“The Police evidence showed inconsistency on the actual scene of killing and crime he committed before he was shot dead in cold blood. The police have a case to answer. I have my doubt that there was actually a robbery before the victim was killed. The Supreme Court had made it clear that evidence of a party to a proceeding that is manifestly contradictory; the court must reject such evidence. And because of the inconsistency of evidence given by the police, the petitioner has proved his case,” he said.
He later awarded the sum of N10million for the victim’s family; N5million for the deceased girl friend who was pregnant and with him during the police killing ,and the sum of N3million for the deceased family to organized a decent burial rite.
Justice Ogola also ordered the release of the corpse of the victim by the police to the family.
The alleged killer and the Police lawyer after the ruling by the panel however stormed out of the panel sitting vowing to appeal the judgment.
In an interactive session with newsmen, Justice Ogola threw his weight behind the calls for a detailed reform of the Nigerian Police Force and psychological evaluation necessary to ensure a more civil ways of interaction with members of the public.