HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES: OGUN JUDICIAL PANEL ENJOINS RESIDENTS TO SEEK LEGAL REDRESS

Residents of Ogun State have been enjoined to always take full advantage of all the legal means available for justice delivery whenever they feel cheated or believe that their human rights have been abused or violated.

The Chairman, Ogun Judicial Panel of Investigation, Justice Solomon Olugbemi gave the advise on Wednesday at the Magistrate Court 1, Isabo, Abeokuta while responding to a petitioner, Mr. Odupitan Daniel who brought a complaint against police officers at Adigbe division for allegedly charging him to Court without proper investigation.

According to the Chairman, "as a Panel, we are here to investigate complaints of victims on Police Brutality. We cannot say that police should not do their official duties, neither can we go against the law that empowered them to charge suspects to Court".

Justice Olugbemi used the avenue to reaffirm that the purpose for setting up the Panel was to receive and investigate complaints of victims on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations and Extra Judicial killings by security operatives within the State adding that appropriate recommendations would be made to government at the end of the sittings.

Drama at Ogun Judicial Panel as Police Sergeant threatens Panel member

A mild drama ensued at the Ogun State Judicial Panel of Investigation sitting at the Magistrate Court 1, Isabo, Abeokuta, when a police officer, Sergeant Adeleke Olalekan who accompanied CSP Gbenga Megbope, a respondent in a case, was allegedly caught committing contempt against Panel members right from his seat, while the Panel cross examines his supposed boss during the sitting.

The sergeant who was allegedly seen to be pointing finger and speaking disrespectfully in a manner suggestive of threat at panel members and could not explain why, was called up and booked for appropriate punishment as stipulated under the Commission of Inquiry law.

Reeling out the law against the offender, the Panel Chairman, Justice Solomon Olugbemi, said "any act of disrespect, insult or threat to the Commissioners or any Panel members while sitting in Commission or any act of disrespect, insult or threat to a Commissioner or Panel members at any other time or place on account of his proceedings in his capacity as a Commissioner or Panel member shall be deemed to be an act of contempt within the meaning of this law under Section 16 of the same law".

Reading further, the Chairman revealed that, "any person who commits an act of contempt, whether the act is or is not committed in the presence of the Commissioners sitting in Commission, such person or persons shall be liable to summary conviction before a court of competent jurisdiction to be convicted and punished according to the tenet stipulated in the law”.

Justice Olugbemi noted that the Police Sergeant ought to be recommended for trial at the Magistrate court, however, the Panel member who was disrespected, pleaded that the alleged offender be pardoned, having apologized, prostrated and pleaded for mercy and showing remorse, the Panel have therefore refrained from recommending him for trial.

The Panel boss used the avenue to warn, saying, “the panel would no longer tolerate any act of disrespect to it or any of its members as the law would be allowed to take its course in any such further act”.

Speaking with journalists after the sitting, a former Commissioner of Police and the present Commandant of Amotekun Security Outfit in Ogun State, Mr. David Ajibola Akinremi who witnessed the proceedings commended the Panel for doing thorough job at investigating petitions brought before it.

The Amotekun boss added that, "the setting up of the Judicial Panel was a welcome development as the wrongs of the past can be seen and solution proffered towards ensuring a better working relationship between the police and the members of the public for a better policing and a safer society".

FACT FINDING: Ogun Panel visits crime scene, SARS office

Towards ensuring that fairness and justice is served to all parties, the Ogun State Judicial Panel of Investigation set up by Governor Dapo Abiodun to ascertain complaints of victims on Police Brutality, Human Rights violations and Extra Judicial Killings by Security Operatives has visited some of the scenes mentioned by petitioners and respondents before it.

It would be recalled that there were series of allegations by petitioners against the defunct Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) in the way and manner its officers tortured, harassed, molested and victimized citizens, hence the need for on site assessment of the facility for proper investigation, to unravel truths and get facts on various petitions currently being treated by the Panel.

Speaking with journalists, the Chairman, Justice Solomon Olugbemi who led other panel members said the need for on site assessment of the facility for proper investigation became imperative so as to ascertain and determine the veracity of claims of both petitioners and respondents.           

"During the course of giving evidence, several witnesses that came before the Panel mentioned the former office of the defunct Special Anti Robbery Squad, Magbon now in use by the new outfit SWAT and Oba Correctional Centre, Abeokuta amongst others" the panel chairman stated.

According to him, "the panel visited the Locus in quo somewhere in Alagada area of Oba in relation to an alleged extra judicial killing by a Mobile Police Officer, Sergeant Tunji Ademuyegun attached to the New Abeokuta Correctional Service, Oba facility sometimes in 2019 to inspect the security outposts of the Army, Mobile Police and Correctional Guards to gather useful information on how the run away police sergeant could have successfully escaped.

During the visit, two eye witnesses Alhaji Sulaimon Salisu and Mr. Oluwafemiwa Kehinde Owosa at the scene where Sergeant Ademuyegun was alleged to have shot late Biola Adeyanju spoke with the Panel saying the officer shot sporadically after being drunk and the bullet eventually hit the deceased.

The Chairman reiterated the commitment of the panel to holistic fact findings and thorough investigation into all petitions before the panel to deliver justice to all without fear or favor and to make appropriate recommendations to government.