The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has extended the tenure of the state’s Judicial Panel on Restitution for Victims of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Related Abuses and Other Matters for another three months.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by the panel headed by retired Justice Doris Okuwobi.
With the extension the panel had been granted legal backing to six till July 19 instead of the initial deadline of April 19 in its terms of reference.
The Lagos Judicial Panel was inaugurated by the Lagos State Governor on October 19 to among other things receive memoranda from concerned members of the public and inquire into cases of abuse, brutality, torture and extra judicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, in Lagos.
Its terms of reference also cover the incident of October 20, 2020 at the Lekki tollgate plaza involving the army and some #EndSARS protesters.
As at the deadline for the receipt of memoranda, the panel had received 235 petitions.
As at March 27, 2021 the panel had awarded the sum of N44 million as compensation and heard 115 cases.
At today’s sitting, which was the 65th, the panel heard a petition involving a bed-ridden 76 year old man, Prince Adewanle Adewuyi who had accused the police of brutality and aggravated assault.
He allegedly said that the police forcefully took over his 26 acres of land in Age-Mowo village Badagry in December 2013.
