#EndSARS: Ondo panel calls for petitions as lawyer urges panel not to deny victims justice

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry on police brutality, recently inaugurated by the Ondo State Government, has called on the public to begin submission of written Memoranda/Petitions.

The Secretary of the Panel, Mr Lanre Amuda, in a statement signed by him urged members of the public who have been brutalised extorted, illegal arrest, unlawful detention, extrajudicial killing, assault and other related infringement on their fundamental human rights to submit memorandum to the Panel.

According to him all memoranda/petitions to the Panel must be submitted on or before close of work, on Monday, November 16, 2020 at the Ondo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), Behind Reuben Fasoranti Park, Along Governor’s Office, Alagbaka Akure.

Meanwhile, an Akure based lawyer, Tope Temokun, who faulted the demand for Death Certificates of victims of police brutality has argued that most deaths that occurred from police brutality do not usually allow for gathering of direct evidence.

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Temokun said that the consequential effect of making photograph, death certificate and/or forensic evidence as requirements for the presentation of memorandum for compensation by the family or dependent(s) of the dead victim would only incite denial of access to justice for those with genuine cases who do or did not meet up with the requirement.

He noted that the essential liberal character of the panel would have been lost to undue legalism.

The legal practitioner however, called on the panel not to demand for the Death Certificates of victims who lost their lives to police brutality in order to genuinely toll the path of justice for the aggrieved.

He advised that interested parties who could not show proof of relationship to victims should be allowed to sponsor and submit memorandum for the benefits of indigent members of the public.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE