From John Adams, Minna

The Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police brutality in Niger State has submitted it reports with the award of N6 million compensation to a woman whose husband was killed in extra-judicial circumstance.
The commission said it received as evidence three teeth of a lady who was brutalised by the police in her house and in the process lost four teeth but could only found three.
Chairman of the commission, Justice Ishaku Usman said this yesterday when the commission submitted it report/recommendations to Governor Abubakar Sani Bello at Government House, Minna.
“We awarded compensation to a woman with two children whose husband was killed by the police. A witness told the commission that the man was killed in his presence with gunshot by the police. According to the witness, the man was in the market to sell when the police arrived and shoot him dead.”
Justice Usman also said the widow told the commission that since the incident about two years ago, it has been difficult for the family to survive, adding that, “she said it is neighbours that feed her now by contributing food items.”
He explained that the commission also recommended the intervention of government in the areas of taking care of the education and other social needs of the two children left behind by the slain man.
Justice Usman pointed out that the commission admitted 50 exhibits during its sitting including three teeth of a young lady who suffered brutality during police invasion of a community.
“In all, 17 petitions were submitted to the commission while about 53 witnesses including police officers testified before the commission. Fifty exhibits were presented including three teeth of a young lady, three death certificates, and some documents exhibits.”
He said that the lady in her evidence before the commission explained that the incident happened when police raided her community, adding that “the young lady said that she heard a knock on her door and that immediately she opened the door the police hit her with an object which blew away four teeth from her mouth but it was only three she was able to recover from the scene which she tendered as exhibit”

The Chairman said that among other issues, the commission advocated that the virtue of empathy and sympathy should be inculcated into the training and retraining of the police force so that they will be very, very professional in handling issues within the society.

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Receiving the report, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello announced the setting up a White paper committee to ensure proper implementation of recommendations contained in the report.

He assured that government will implement the recommendations of the commission without delay.

He named Mallam Bello Dan’yahaya as Chairman of the white paper committee while Alhaji Adamu Panti Mohammed Mr. Bala Joseph Dada are members and Permanent Secretary cabinet and security as the Secretary