From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Executive Council has directed that compensations to victims of acts of violence, torture, brutality, murder and violation of fundamental rights committed by the Nigerian Police should be paid by the police authorities or officers who perpetrated the offense.
The decision was taken after a five-man committee set up by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, 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 (FSARS) in the state, submitted its report to the Executive Council at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Briefing journalists after the council meeting presided over by Governor Wike, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Zacchaeus Adangor, said compensations to victims of police brutality should be paid by the police authorities or the officers who perpetrated the offence and not the state government because the police were not part of the state government.
Adangor said: “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 Nigeria Police Force.”
The attorney general said the executive council also directed his office to liaise with the judiciary in ensuring quarterly reports are submitted to his office in respect of provision under the administration of Criminal Justice Law.
According to him, some of those provisions require that on monthly basis, the commissioner of police should inform the attorney general about the number of persons in police custody and the reasons therefore.
Adangor said council directed that public defenders department should be established in the 23 local government areas and officers posted there in order to make access to justice easier for indigent litigants, who cannot afford to retain services of lawyers.
“The public defender essentially undertakes litigation on behalf of indigent litigants, who cannot afford to retain the services of legal practitioners.
“So, executive council has directed attorney general to ensure counsel in the state Ministry of Justice are posted to the 23 councils to man the office of the public defenders.
“Those counsel posted to those councils can take up matters by indigent litigants because they cannot afford to retain the services of legal practitioners,” he said.
