Osun State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality on Saturday gave more update on petitions received and why it granted adjournment request to all cases.
The Chairman of the Panel retired Justice Akin Oladimeji, while speaking with newsmen after the court session said the court had heard three petitions and granted adjournments to both petitioners and respondents based on the circumstances around the petitions.
AMILOADED gathered that the three petitions mentioned in Court were filed by Alhaji Ayo Dauda Adimu; Mr. Amos Adeyemi and Mr. Elusanmi Kolade.
However, the first petition mentioned was adjourned due to the absence of the petitioner. Likewise, the second petition was equally adjourned on the request of the respondent — the Commissioner of Police who was represented by the OC Legal, Francis Baokun Osei, while the third petition was also adjourned due to the absence of the respondents
“We had only three cases today and none of them was heard because they didn’t give evidence to any of the cases. The lawyers sought for adjournment but in the special circumstances of the application, all the petitions had to be adjourned. So, we adjourned the petitions to another dates,” the panel chairman said.
Speaking on why the Panel granted adjournments to all the cases heard, the Chairman of the Panel said, it is the constitutional right of the petitioner to be given fair hearing in line with the constitutional provisions.
“Everyone must be given the opportunity to be heard. If there are special reasons for the cases to be adjourned, they must be adjourned.
“In the inaugural address that I made, I said no party would enjoy more than two adjournments. In the circumstances, everyone that was given adjournment today has only one more chance of adjournment in their respective cases. It is the fundamental law of the land that they must he given the opportunity to be heard.
“We granted the adjournment because some of them had not been served for instance in the last case we attended to today. The respondents are not residing here in Osun, but in Ogun State.
“Though the incident happened here in Osun, the policemen involved are in Ogun State. So, we have to give an order that Ogun State and Osun State Commissioners of Police and the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, be served with the petitions and all the documents filed by the petitioners”.
“Before the sitting, we received five petitions. All of them had been enlisted, and as we speak, we have received more. In fact, one was submitted this morning and it has been filed.
“As for us, we are not going to waste time. We shall attend to every petition as it comes because time wasting is not in my character”, he said.
One of the EndSARS protesters, Comrade Adebisi Emmanuel, expressed satisfaction with the process of the hearing since its commencement.
He expressed confidence in the ability of the Panel to ensure fair hearing and justice at the end of the whole exercise.
He appealed to the residents of the State, particularly those that had experienced brutality and injustice at the hands of the police to summon courage to file their petitions and forward same to the panel.
“So far so good, the process has been smooth. But I want to encourage everyone not to be intimidated but rather come out en mass with their petitions to the panel.
“I know they will get a fair hearing here and at the end of the day, they will be satisfied with the judgement. Don’t let anyone intimidate you. That is the advice I want to give to the masses.
“I think the government should do the same by encouraging the people to bring their petitions to the Panel”, he said.
On the efforts being put together towards ensuring that the victims of the police brutality get justice, Emmanuel, who is popularly known as “Captain”, said he and his colleagues have been working assiduously to sensitise the people on the need to come out to take maximum advantage of the Panel.
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