The panel investigating alleged human rights violations committed by police personnel during the #EndSARS protests has awarded N575.8 million against the police.
The panel, constituted by the National Human Rights Commission, is investigating alleged violations by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other units of the Nigeria Police.
The Deputy Director of Public Affairs in the NHRC, Fatimah Mohammed, in a statement on Friday said the panel, led by a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Suleiman Galadima, considered 20 of the petitions at its executive session on Thursday.
Mohammed said: “The executive session considered 20 out of the 44 petitions on non-adherence by the police to court judgments awarding compensations to victims of human rights violations, and decisions were made on each of the petitions, otherwise known as judgment debts.
“The petitions on judgment debts of about N575.8 million were considered ranging from the award of N200 million to N120,000 of cases bordering on extra-judicial killing, unlawful arrest and detention.
“Others are cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture, confiscation of property and so on.”
The NHRC said the panel “agreed that the victims of human rights who got court judgments should be paid”.
On how the judgment debts would be paid, the Secretary to the panel, Hillary Ogbonna, said the police would have to make a “commitment to respect court orders while part of the money will be paid from the human rights compensation funds which are expected to be paid for such purposes.”