UK to judicial panels: Investigate all incidents

THE British High Commission in Nigeria has asked the Federal Government to investigate all incidents associated with the #EndSARS protests.

The commission in a tweet on Monday evening said it is also concerned by the spate of looting of COVID-19 palliatives, other items and destruction of properties across the country.

It urged all security agencies to restore order in the affected areas.

The tweet reads: “We remain concerned by acts of looting & violence in Nigeria & urge security services use restraint as order is restored.

“Working with all stakeholders, judicial panels of inquiry must investigate all incidents, including #Lekki, & ensure accountability for crimes. #EndPoliceBrutal- ity.”

Meanwhile, piqued by massive looting that charac- terised Plateau State in the past three days, the state government has designated seven courts for the prosecution of 307 suspects so far arrested at various locations where looting took place.

Addressing newsmen after a state security council meeting, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Professor Danladi Atu, said security agencies had been mandated to embark on massive manhunt of looters and ensure materials were recovered.

Professor Atu, who said there were still threats to attack other public and pri- vate businesses as well as individuals, added that the council agreed to further fortify all checkpoints in Jos South and Jos North local gvernment areas to give ef- fect to the curfew.

He warned members of the public from consuming some of the looted food items, as he said some of them were dangerous and not fit for human consumption as they had been chemically treated for preservation.

ALSO READ: Makinde mourns as foremost Ibadan chief, Akinyele, dies at 88

The SSG restated that there was no hoarding of palliatives, as the looted items were delivered to the state by the Federal Minis- try of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development just

before the #EndSARS protests began, which made it difficult for distribution to commence.

Atu said property looted and vandalised include SEMA Warehouse (Old Nitel Bukuru), PRUWASSA, PADP (Dogon Dutse Jos), Mineral Museum (Angul D, Bukuru), ASTC Vom, Plateau Publish- ing Company, SUBEB (Dogon Dutse), Government Tech- nical College Bukuru, Ryom Local Government Secre- tariat, School of Home Eco- nomics Vom, Jos foods, Jos Trade Fair (Polo), residence of former speaker, Honour- able Yakubu Dogara, Grand Cereals Bukuru, state and federal secretariats.

Meanwhile, security operatives in Kwara State have arrested 144 suspects in connection with last week- end’s looting of government and private property in Ilorin, the state capital.

This is as the state gov- ernment relaxed the 24- hour curfew imposed on the state capital to between 8.00 a.m. and 6.00 p.m.

Speaking to newsmen in Ilorin, on Monday, the state Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said the arrest of the suspects was as a result of combined efforts of security agencies in the state.

Egbetokun, who confirmed that two govern- ment warehouses and many privately-owned property were attacked by the hoodlums, added that large quantity of looted property had been recov- ered, including two vehicles used to cart away loots.

He called on those who still have looted property in their possession to volun- tarily surrender them, add- ing that such people would not be prosecuted.

In Adamawa State, the police arrested 120 sus- pected hoodlums, who looted items from government and private ware- houses on Sunday.

Spokesman for the state command, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, said the command recovered many items, including tractors, cars and farm implements.

He said investigation was ongoing, adding that if found guilty, suspects would be prosecuted.

In Cross River State, the police arrested more than 80 hoodlums over their al- leged involvement in the vandalism of some govern- ment and private property in Calabar, the state capital.

The command also apprehended those who alleg- edly looted private offices

and houses as well as those who reportedly invaded the office of National Assembly members.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that var- ious empowerment items, including tricycles and stage and sound equipment at the Calabar International Con- vention Centre (CICC) were said to have been carted away by the hoodlums dur- ing the attacks.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Abdulkadir Jimoh, who spoke to newsmen on Monday, said the police had recovered some of the looted items.

In Ekiti State, the police command on Monday paraded two minors and four other suspects in connection with the alleged attack on police stations in the state.

Hoodlums had last week attacked two Divisional Police stations and burnt the Area Command office in Ikere-Ekiti, when the End- SARS protest was hijacked.

Parading the suspects in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Sunday Abutu, said: “These suspects were caught in the act and they have confessed to the crime. Many names have been mentioned. As many as were involved would be arrested and prosecuted.”

In Taraba State, the police command on Monday announced the arrest of 23 hoodlums suspected to be looters of government and private property in the name of EndSARS protesters.

The command’s PPRO, DSP David Missal, an- nounced this while briefing newsmen in Jalingo, the state capital.

The PPRO disclosed that the command clamped down on looters operation arrested the suspects and recovered six tricycles, three vehicles loaded with eight bags of rice, 39 bags of fertiliser, nine cartons of Indomie noodles, nine bottles of agrochemical, three camp beds and four cartons of Macroni.

The Ondo State Police Command on Monday said over 15 people, who alleg- edly vandalised and looted public and private property during the recent unrest had been arrested from dif- ferent parts of the state.

The state PPRO, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, who confirmed this, said 10 people were arrested in connection with the looting of shops and robbery during the protest.

Ikoro disclosed that a dealer in electrical parts was shot dead on Sunday evening at his shop located at Sijuade area of Akure.

He, however, said the state command had launched manhunt for robbers and looters of shops in Akure and other parts of the state.

In the Federal Capital Ter- ritory (FCT), the police ar- rested 51 suspected looters and recovered some stolen items at Jabi-Daki-biu, Idu industrial Estate Karim area.

FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Bala Ciroma, made the disclosure at a news conference in Abuja, on Monday.

Ciroma explained that the operation that led to the arrest was necessitated by the looting and destruction of public and private ware- houses in the territory by some suspected hoodlums.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE