The National Human Rights Commission’s independent investigative panel on violations of human rights by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units on Friday considered payments of compensation to victims of human rights violations with court judgments yet to be paid by the Nigeria Police.
Panel members met at an executive session presided over by the chairman, Justice Sulaiman Galadima (retd), where petitions relating to the enforcement of judicial decisions /awards with the purpose of considering such petitions were looked at.
Secretary to the panel, Mr Hillary Ogbonna, informed journalists that the executive session considered 20 out of the 44 petitions on non-compliance by the police with court judgments awarding compensations to victims of human rights violations.
According to him, the panel took decisions on each of the petitions relating to the judgment debts, amounting to about N575.8 million.
Ogbonna informed that there were various judgment sums ranging from N120million to N200million awarded against the police in cases bordering on extra-judicial killing; unlawful arrest and detention; cruel; inhuman and degrading treatment.
Other matters in which the court awarded cost against the police, according to the secretary, also included cases of torture; alleged enforce disappearance and confiscation of property, among others.
Ogbonna further informed the cases had been adjourned for a final decision, members of the panel agreed that the victims of human rights violations who got court judgments should be paid.
Asked how the judgment debts would be paid, the secretary said the police would have to make their commitment to respect court orders, he added that part of the money would be paid from the human rights compensation funds which were expected to be paid for such purposes.
Apart from assisting the victims of rights violations to get their compensation paid, Ogbonna said the panel had also taken a decision to order the police authorities to issue apologies to some of the petitioners who had issuance of apology as part of their compensation.
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