#EndSARS: NEC Sets Up Panels To Probe Police Brutality, Asks Governors To Take Full Control OF Their Domains

All cases of police brutality and other abuses are to be investigated immediately across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

This will be done by a judicial panel of inquiry, which each state must set up to complete such investigations within six weeks.

A special fund for the payment of competition to victims is also to be established in each state.

These were part of the resolutions reached on Thursday during a virtual meeting of the National Economic Council.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo presided over the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

A retired High Court judge will chair the panel, while members will include two representatives of civil society groups; one retired police officer of high repute; one youth representative; one student representative; one representative of the State Attorney-General/Ministry; and a representative from the National Human Rights Commission.”

NEC also spelt out the terms of reference for the judicial panel thus, “receive and investigate complaints of Police brutality or related extra judicial killings; evaluate evidence presented/other surrounding circumstances, and draw conclusions as to the validity of the complaints; and recommend compensation and other remedial measures, where appropriate.”

The council’s resolutions read partly, “Rising from its monthly meeting, the National Economic Council has directed the immediate establishment of State-based Judicial Panels of Inquiry across the country to receive and investigate complaints of Police brutality or related extra judicial killings with a view to delivering justice for all victims of the dissolved SARS and other police units.

“The Council specifically resolved that State Governors and the FCT Minister should take charge of interface and contact with the protesters in their respective domains…

“The Council also directed that State Governors should immediately establish a State-based Special Security and Human Rights Committee to be chaired by the Governors in their States, to supervise the newly formed police tactical units and all other security agencies located in the State.

“The idea of the Special Security and Human Rights Committee in all States of the Federation and the FCT is to ensure that police formations and other security agencies in the State consistently protect the Human Rights of citizens.

“Members of the Special Committee would also include Representatives of Youths, and Civil Society. The head of Police tactical units in each of the State would also be a member of the Committee.”

In addition, the council resolved that, “There will be Human Rights Public Complaints Team of between two to three persons to receive complaints on an ongoing basis. That team would be established by the Special Committee on Security and Human Rights.

“It was resolved that each State Government shall also set up such a Complaints Office to which members of the public can relate by telephone or social media channels.

“It shall be the duty of the officers of the Complaints Office to liaise with the leadership of security agencies, attempt resolution of complaints or otherwise guide the complainants.

“Also NEC directs all State Governors to immediately establish a Victims Fund to enable the payment of monetary compensation to deserving victims.”

The NEC also received an updated report on COVID-19 measures across the states and recommended areas requiring improvement.

On the balances in key government accounts, it was reported to council that the Excess Crude Account had $72.4m balance; the Stabilisation Account, N47.1b; and the Development of Natural Resources Account, N154.3bn as of September 2020.

The Minister of Finance/Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, brought council up to date on the 2021-2023 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and the 2021 Budget already presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ahmed’s report gave the following highlights:
“The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the revised 2021-23 Medium Term Expenditure Framework & Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP), as well as the 2021 FGN Budget, on the 30th of September, 2020.

“In response to the developments affecting the supply of foreign exchange to the economy, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) adjusted the official exchange rate to N360/US$1, and more recently to N379/US$.

“The projected aggregate revenue inflow into the Federation Account (Main Pool) is N6.77 trillion, while N1.70trn is the projected inflow in the VAT Pool Account.

“Out of the Main Pool Account, FGN is projected to get N3.54 trn while States and Local Governments are projected to get N1.80trn and N1.39 trn, respectively.

“From the VAT Pool Account, FGN is projected to get N255.46bn while States and Local Governments are projected to get N851.52bn and N596.07bn, respectively.”