This is a report of the thirty-fifth public hearing of the Oyo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into Police Brutality, Violation of Rights of Citizens and Unlawful Killings in Oyo State.
Venue: The House of Chiefs, Oyo State House of Assembly, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Date: Thursday, April 15, 2021.
Today’s sitting commenced at about 9:24am, shortly after the arrival of the Oyo State Judicial Panel members.
Petitions for Mention at the Oyo State Judicial Panel
1. Case No. OYJPPB/041
Mr Umoru Adamu v The Nigeria Police, Saki Area Command. The petitioner was absent and was not represented by a legal counsel. Meanwhile, Mr M. A. Ojeah appeared on behalf of the respondent.
Mrs Oluwafolake Ogundele, the counsel to the Oyo State Judicial Panel said that the petitioner had never been present before the panel on the three occasions that he had been summoned, and the contact details he provided were not reachable. She said she sent the last two hearing notices to the petitioner through his local government, but there was no response.
With this, the Oyo State Judicial Panel struck out petition OYJPPB/041 for lack of diligent prosecution.
2. Case No. OYJPPB/016
Hon Ojo Samson Bamidele v Commissioner of Police, Oyo State. The petitioner was present but was not represented by a legal counsel. The respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah.
The petitioner said that he has been able to recover his car, which is the subject matter of the petition. He appreciated the Oyo State Judicial Panel for the efforts put in to ensure that his car was released to him. He said he was not able to bring the car today because there was a need for it to be repaired. He therefore implored the panel to strike out his petition as there was no need to continue with the prosecution.
Therefore, petition OYJPPB/016 was struck out by the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
Petitions for Hearing at the Oyo State Judicial Panel
3. Case No. OYJPPB/074
Mr Babalola Kamorudeen Soladoye v Unknown Hoodlums. The petitioner was present and was represented by S. S. Akingbade (Esq.). The petitioner was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The name of the petitioner is Babalola Kamorudeen Soladoye. He lives at (redacted) Ibadan. He is a businessman. He said that he got a call from his supplier, one Awwal on the 27th of October, 2020 that he should go and retrieve the cows and rams, which have been sent to him from Maiduguri.
He said that the supplier told him that the name of the driver is Nuhu. He said that he was supposed to be given 16 cows and 62 rams. He said the driver told him to pay N50,000 for the delivery. He said he went to gather the money and was only able to raise N22,000 but before he could return to meet the driver after about 2 hours later, the #EndSARS protesters had attacked him. He said he was told by onlookers that the #EndSARS protesters had released the cows and rams, during the attack and the driver had fled.
He said he rushed to report the incident at Sanyo Police Station but there was no one to attend to him. He said he proceeded to report the incident at Orita-Aperin Police Division, but was not attended to as well. He said he went back home afterwards.
He said that he went back to the scene the next day in search of the cows and rams, but was attacked by the protesters. He said his Mercedes Benz 190 was burnt by the protesters.
At this point, the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Akingbade tendered the relevant documents and pictorial evidence of the car before and after it was burnt and they were admitted and marked as exhibits.
The Oyo State Judicial Panel members took turn to cross examine the petitioner. It was however discovered during the cross examination that the petitioner had given a false evidence as he could not defend his testimony before the panel. It was discovered that the picture of the burnt car is not the same as the picture of the car before it was burnt.
With this the Oyo State Judicial Panel adjourned petition OYJPPB/074 sine die.
4. Case No. OYJPPB/056
The Family of Late Kehinde Omotosho v The Nigeria Police, SCIID, Iyaganku Ibadan. The family was represented by Omotosho Ademola, Toyese Owoade (Esq.) and O. O. Fabinu (Esq.). Meanwhile, Mr M. A. Ojeah maintained appearance on behalf of the respondent.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Owoade said that he would present two witnesses before the Oyo State Judicial Panel. With this the first witness was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The name of the first witness is Jelilee Rasak. He lives at (redacted) Ibadan. He was a nephew to the Late Kehinde Omotosho.
He said that he was at home when he suddenly heard the sounds of gunshot and later heard the vigilante say that armed robbers are around and no one should sleep. He said he stood up to step into the corridor alongside Kehinde Omotosho and his grandma. He said they heard a bang on the door and the voice identified as the police. He said he proceeded to open the door and was pushed in with a gun. He said the police asked him if he knew one Kabiru and he inquired about the Kabiru the police officer was asking. He said he was hit with a gun and this made him fall to the ground. He said Kehinde Omotosho was also hit with a gun because he also asked about who Kabiru was.
He said he was later handcuffed alongside Kehinde Omotosho and was taken to the station. He said his younger brother asked the police the name of the station they had come from but he was told to get the answer on google.
He said they were taken to Agugu Police Station at about 1am on that day after which they were later taken to Iyaganku Police Division. He said they were locked up in the cell and were brought out to make a statement the next day.
He said they were told to answer the questions they were asked. He said he later got to know that the Kabiru in question is his brother. He said he also got to know that Kabiru was involved in a fight, in which someone had died in the process. He said the statements were written by the police officers after which they were taken back to the cell. He said they were in the cell with about 138 other inmates and they were not given food to eat.
He said that the police officers took them to see the Officer in Charge, Anti-Crime three days later. He said Kehinde Omotosho pleaded with the Officer in Charge, Anti-Crime to release them and he would ensure to bring Kabiru Rasak to the station within a week but his plea was turned down. He said Kehinde Omotosho who was about 45 years old at that time, complained that he was hungry and begged the police officers for food but he was not attended to. He said that Kehinde Omotosho died in the cell in the early morning of the fourth day.
He said he informed the officers that Kehinde Omotosho had died but was not attended to until about six hours later. He said that his family members later got to know about where he was detained and demanded for his release. He said that after his release, the police officers called him repeatedly to threaten him to produce Kabiru Rasak and that they did not care about the death of Kehinde Omotosho. He said that due to the threats, he wrote a petition to the High Court.
At this point, he was cross examined by the respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah and the Oyo State Judicial Panel members. With this the second witness was invited to the stand and was sworn on the Quran.
The name of the second witness is Yusuf Sekinat. She lives at (redacted) Ibadan. She was a younger sister to the deceased. She is the mother of Jelilee Rasak. She said that the deceased was selling cloths at Gbagi Market before his death. She said he was the third child of the family. She said Kehinde Omotosho was about 46 years old as at the time of his death. She said she was not at home when the incident happened but was informed by her sister, Zeenat Aremu, that Jelilee and Kehinde had been arrested by the police and that Jelilee had died. She said that she got to know that it was Kehinde who died when she got to the station.
She said she pleaded with them to release Jelilee and she was given a document to sign without knowing the content of the document. She said she was then told to pay N3000 for an affidavit. She said Jelilee was released after she made the payment and signed the affidavit. She however said that the police have failed to release the corpse of the deceased to the family.
The family therefore prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to see to the release of the deceased for proper burial and also compensate the family with financial assistance.
With this, the witness was cross examined by the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel and the respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah.
The petition was thereafter adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till April 29, 2021 for further hearing.
5. Case No. OYJPPB/087
Adejumo Lekan Isaac v The Nigeria Police, Ogbomoso Area Command. The petitioner was present and was represented by Ayoola Ajayi (Esq.), A. S. Akande (Esq.), A. I. Olaosebikan (Esq.), and Oladipo Ajisegiri (Esq.). Meanwhile, the respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Ajayi pleaded with the Oyo State Judicial Panel to allow the petitioner’s mother, Alice Adejumo give the evidence because the petitioner cannot talk properly at the moment. With this, the petitioner’s mother was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The petitioner’s mother, Alice Adejumo said she did not know the details of her address in Owode. She said that her son had gone to the church, Love Choice Baptist Church, for service on the 11th of October 2020. She said she was told that the youths were causing havoc at the SARS office in Owode and the police officers were shooting sporadically.
She said that Adejumo Lekan was on his way back from church, when he was hit by one of the stray bullets fired by the police. She said her son was rescued by passersby who took him to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso for immediate treatment. She said someone later called her on the phone to inform her about the incident.
With this, she was crossed examined by the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel and the respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah.
The Oyo State Judicial Panel therefore adjourned the petition till May 11, 2021 for further hearing.
6. Case No. OYJPPB/078
The Family of Abdul-Qudus Agbolade v The Nigeria Police, Ojoo Division. The family was represented by Agbolade Ahmed, Afolake Adeoba (Esq.) and Fatima Ahmed (Esq.). Meanwhile, the respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah.
The Oyo State Judicial Panel adjourned the petition till May 5, 2021 to enable the petitioner’s counsel present her witnesses at the next adjourned date.
7. Case No. OYJPPB/082
The Family of Gbadebo Kolade Abiodun v Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun). The petitioner was present and was represented by A. B. Bello (Esq.). Meanwhile, Mr Olusola Orobode maintained appearance on behalf of the respondent.
Mr Olusola Orobode, the respondent’s counsel recalled that the Oyo State Judicial Panel had directed the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Bello at the last sitting, to file a new petition but he was yet to get the new processes.
Mrs Oluwafolake Ogundele, the Oyo State Judicial Panel’s counsel however, said that the petitioner’s counsel had filed a fresh petition on the 12th of April, 2021 and it had been served on Amotekun Corps through the Ministry of Justice. She further said that the Secretary of the Corps received and signed the petition on behalf of the Corps.
With this, the Oyo State Judicial Panel adjourned the petition till April 27, 2021 for definite hearing.
8. Case No. OYJPPB/096
Mrs Bassey Jacintha v Unknown Hoodlums. The petitioner was present but was not represented by a legal counsel. The petitioner was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The petitioner’s name is Mrs Bassey Jacintha Chinwe. She lived in (redacted) Ibadan, but had relocated to Calabar because her husband was transferred. She said her husband is a pastor.
She said that she is a caterer and she sells food. She said that her shop and the food she had cooked for the day was looted by the #EndSARS hoodlums on the 22nd of October, 2020. She said she lost everything in her shop on the said date. She listed some of the items that were looted in her shop as generator, freezer, tables, chairs, drinks, air conditioner etc.
She therefore prayed the government for financial compensation of N751, 350 to enable her start up her business again. She tendered the relevant documents and receipts before the Oyo State Judicial Panel and they were marked and admitted as exhibits
With this, she was cross examined by the Oyo State Judicial Panel members and the petition was adjourned sine die.
9. Case No. OYJPPB/065
Mr Saheed Olanrewaju v The DPO, Mokola Police Station. The petitioner was present and was represented by Adekola Kareem (Esq.) and Adedeji Falujo (Esq.). Meanwhile, the respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Kareem told the Oyo State Judicial Panel that the matter was adjourned for further hearing to enable him present the second witness relevant to the petition. With this the second witness was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Quran.
The name of the second witness is Jimoh Munirudeen. He lives at (redacted) Ibadan. He is a civil servant. He said that Saheed Olanrewaju, the first witness is his younger brother. He said that the Late Waheed Olanrewaju was his older brother.
He said that on January 12, 2021, his brother Saheed Olanrewaju called him on the phone to inform him that someone had killed Waheed Olanrewaju. He said he went to Mokola Police Station with Saheed Olanrewaju and one Baba Amina to report the incident. He said he had the opportunity to meet the DCO and he told him to ensure that the circumstances surrounding the death of Waheed Olanrewaju were unraveled. He said the DCO then told him that the case was beyond him and that he would transfer the case to Iyaganku Police Station. He said with this, the DPO through the DCO transferred the case to Iyaganku Police Station. He however said that he was made to write a statement at Mokola Police Station. He said the information he gathered at Mokola Police Station was that one Funmilayo Ojo was the one who arrested his Waheed Olanrewaju at his house based on the allegation that he had raped her daughter.
He said that when he realised that the case was not handled diligently, he reported the incident to the area commander who told him to either write a petition or report back to Mokola Police Station to indent a murder case against Iya Ife that is, Funmilayo Ojo. He however said that both options were explored. He said that he was told by the police that the corpse of the deceased is in a mortuary at Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road.
He prayed the panel to help see to the release of the corpse to the family and to do proper investigation to unravel the circumstances surrounding his brother’s death. He also pleaded with the government to award scholarship to the deceased’s three children and to also compensate the family with N20 million.
With this, the respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah and the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel took turn to cross examine the witness.
Thereafter, the petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till May 6, 2021 for further hearing and to enable Mr Ojeah, the respondent’s counsel open his defence.
Before the proceedings were brought to a close, the Chairperson of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, Hon Justice Badejoko Adeniji, restated that the panel was set up by the government to restitute victims of police related abuse and violation of human rights, and not to indict anyone.
Having gone through the proceedings for today, the hearing was brought to a close at about 4:33pm.