"I need to take care of myself as my left leg still needs to be casted for permanent healing..."
More than one year after the Judicial Panel of Investigation on Police Brutality and Extra-Judicial killings set up by Governor Dapo Abiodun submitted its report, the government is yet to act on its recommendations.
The panel was set up at the height of youth protests against police brutality which swept across the country in October 2020.
As a result of the protests, the federal government through the National Economic Council ordered states to put up a panel of inquiry across the country, and Mr Abiodun was among the first to comply.
102 victims, who suffered various degrees of injury from police brutality, submitted petitions to the panel but only 58 petitions were treated while the remaining were either withdrawn, rejected, or abandoned.
The head of the panel said some petitions were rejected because they were not in line with the terms of reference that the panel was given by the government.
The panel, which was inaugurated on 19th October 2020, submitted its report to the government in July 2021. thereby recommending over N218 millions for 42 victims.
Cases
At the panel, families and relatives of victims of police brutality recounted how their loved ones were killed or maimed by SARS officers in the state.
Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, who appeared before the panel on a wheelchair, narrated how he was hit by the bullet of a police officer collecting N20 bribe on the road.
He said the incident left him incapable of "naturally impregnating a lady."
A weight lifter, Oluwasola Oladunjoye, recounted how a police officer, Gbenga Olajide, "slapped and stabbed" him on his neck.
Mr Oladunjoye, who finished fourth in the 69kg weightlifting category while representing Nigeria in India in 2008, said he could not participate in the 2017 weightlifting festival in Cuba because of the injury.
Akintunde Muraina, who sustained injuries at the hands of the SARS operatives, said his health has not been perfect since the officers unjustly attacked him over two years ago.
"I find it so bad, painful, disappointing, depressing, oppressed and neglected after so many injuries sustained in every part of my body in the hands of those inhumane police officers nothing was done," he said.
He appealed to the governor to comply with the recommendations of the panel.
"I spent nothing less than six days in a private hospital after I was released at Magbon police station in Abeokuta," he said.
"It was then I discovered I had a broken leg and even contracted tuberculosis while I was in the cell and so many unidentified health issues in my body which I cannot even explain the symptoms. Even up to this moment, I am not feeling fine and it's over two years now.
"Governor Dapo Abiodun promised to implement the panel's recommendation, but unfortunately up till this moment, he has not done anything as regards the panel's recommendation.
"I need to take care of myself as my left leg still needs to be casted for permanent healing, I have ulcer and tuberculosis, in fact I vomit blood occasionally and I used to tell my wife that I may die anytime."
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Govt reaction
Contacted, the state commissioner for information, Waheed Odusile, initially said he does not know what is happening concerning the implementation of the panel's report, promising to "get back" to our reporter.
When he was contacted again after he didn't fulfil his promise, Mr Odusile said he said he is "not in town for now and could only confirm what is happening on the payment when he gets back."
The state's Attorney General, Oluwasina Ogungbade, on his part, said the events occurred before he assumed office.
"I will confirm status and revert to you, sir," he said on Friday.
Also, the secretary to the state government, Tokunbo Talabi, did not pick up calls or respond to a text message sent to his phone.
