The Independent Investigative Panel on human right violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and other Units of the Nigeria Police Force, sitting in Abuja, today, awarded compensations to 74 victims of police brutality, to the tune of about N289million.
The panel, which was led by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Suleiman Galadima, awarded compensations, after it considered a total of 297 petitions that were brought before it by either victims or their family members.
Secretary of the panel, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna, disclosed that allegations in the petitions that were determined, bordered on extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances, cruel and inhumane treatment by police officers, prolonged detention, abuse of power, as well as non payment of judgement debts.
He decried that some of the victims died before the panel could conclude its investigations that spanned for a period of two years.
