#EndSARS: Petitioners abandon cases in Ekiti, policemen demand compensation for damaged vehicles

The chairperson of the Ekiti State judicial panel on police brutality, Cornelius Akintayo, has raised fresh concerns over abandonment of cases by petitioners.

He raised the concerns at the panel’s sitting on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti after the first two cases were called, but the petitioners were absent.

The petitioners also did not send any representatives at the panel’s hearing.

Mr Akintayo asked complainants and lawyers appearing before him to accord their cases utmost priorities for expeditious trial of all the issues pending before him.

He appealed to the petitioners and lawyers not to abandon the cases but to see the matters before the panel as fundamental human rights cases.

He also urged the lawyers to give the cases utmost priorities because of the timeline for the sitting of the panel.

However, two policemen attached to the Afao Divisional Police headquarters in Ikere Ekiti have sought compensation for their damaged cars during the #EndSARS protest in Ekiti State.

READ ALSO: #EndSARS: Ekiti judicial panel receives 22 petitions

The officers, Kolawole Adesina, a sergeant and Yaqubu Aminu, an Inspector, on Tuesday appeared before the Ekiti judicial panel of inquiry probing alleged cases of rights violations and brutality by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).

They claimed that their cars were damaged and burnt by the protesters and would need the sum of N1.7 million to replace them.

The officers explained that on October 20, they were in their office when hoodlums invaded the place and razed down the station, including their cars.

“I was on duty and around 1p.m., I heard people shouting #EndSARS and before I could understand, they began to throw stones at the police station,” Mr Kolawole explained.

“They attacked, assaulted some police officers, they even Injured many of them. This made me to run for my life.

“I managed to escape through the fence. After the attack, I came back to the station, I realised they have maliciously damaged my car, a Golf 3 Car with registration number Ekiti AG 401 MUE.”

He said the photograph of the damaged car and documents were already submitted.

He added that the protesters broke into the car and took away the originals of the particulars, but he was able to retrieve photocopies.

“They carted away the car player, battery and smashed the windows . The estimate of the damage amounted to about N400,000,” he added.

While being led in evidence, Mr Aminu explained that his vehicle, also a Golf 3 car with number plate AG 828 AER, was but burnt down by the hoodlums.

“I purchased the vehicle for N550,000 on 5th March, 2012. I want to be assisted with a sum of N1.3 million to purchase another vehicle,” he demanded.

The chairperson of the panel, however, chided the police officers for parading expired vehicle particulars before adjourning the case to November 12.

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, had set up the panel to probe police brutality following the #EndSARS protests in compliance with the directive of the federal government.