EndSARS: Police frustrating our petition — Counsel tells panel

Shina Abubakar Osogbo

A petitioner’s counsel at the Osun Judicial Panel against Police brutality and extrajudicial killings, Mr Tunde Ajani has told the panel that the police is deliberately frustrating their petition as the officers it summoned refused to appear.

Mr Ayinla Rasheed, the father of ram merchant, Ismaila had in his petition before the panel indicted two police officers of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) identified as Aare and Odua of gruesomely killing his son in his hotel room and stealing his N4million.

Also while testifying before the panel, he said the officer identified as Odua, who allegedly pulled the trigger confessed before the State Assistant Police Commissioner.

Also, the Manager of Ile Labo Guest House, Iwo, Mr Afeez Adio corroborated the testimony of the deceased’s father, indicting the two officers of defunct SARS named Aare and Odua, adding that Odua admitted that he shot his guest, Ismaila dead before Assistant Commissioner of Police at Osogbo Command.

During the proceedings at the weekend, petitioner’s counsel, Mr Ajani informed the panel that he has not received any response from the Police counsel, Francis Osie since all the witnesses gave evidence and indicted the affected officers.

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“It seems the Police counsel is covering those two officers from appearing before the panel. The manager of the hotel while giving evidence before the panel said one of the officers admitted that he killed Ismaila before Assistant Commissioner of Police, Osun Command. Even, the father of the deceased made it known to the panel that the ACP called him and the wife of the deceased to give them money.”

The police counsel, Osie told the panel that he his not supporting brutality neither was he covering the officers that were indicted. He said, “I have been busy in my office lately, I promise that I will be diligent and ensure that I provide all that is necessary to the panel,” he said.

The panel’s Chairman, Justice Akin Oladimeji ordered that the officers indicted in the petition and while taking evidence from parties involved should appear before the panel on February 19, 2021.

Vanguard News Nigeria

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