This is a report of the forty-sixth 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, May 20, 2021.
Today’s sitting commenced at about 9:26am, shortly after the arrival of the Oyo State Judicial Panel members.
Petitions for Further Hearing at the Oyo State Judicial Panel
1. Case No. OYJPPB/090
Alfa Hamzat Ibrahim v Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi Ibadan. The petitioner was present and was represented by J. O. Abdusalam (Esq.). Meanwhile, the respondent was absent and was not represented.
The Oyo State Judicial Panel pointed out that the petition does not fall within the purview of the panel because the respondent involved is not the police and also not a body established by the Oyo State government.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Abdulsalam however said that the petition falls within the jurisdiction of the Oyo State Judicial Panel because the matter also involves the officers of Operation Burst.
With that, the Oyo State Judicial Panel advised that the petition should be amended to include Operation Burst as a party, to enable the petition fall within the panel’s jurisdiction.
The petition was therefore adjourned till June 2, 2021 for mention. The Oyo State Judicial Panel ordered that a fresh hearing notice should be issued and served on Operation Burst.
2. Case No. OYJPPB/001
The Families of Jimoh Isiaq, Moshood Ganiu, Pelumi Olatunji, and Taiwo Adeoye v Nigeria Police, Area Command Owode, Ogbomoso. The petitioners were present and were represented by Hussein Afolabi (Esq.). and Olusegun Kofoworola (Esq.). Meanwhile, the respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah and Mrs B. K. Olorukooba.
The petition was last adjourned for further hearing to enable the petitioner present the last two witnesses. However, Mr Afolabi, the petitioner’s counsel said that he would only present one of the witnesses because the second witness, Dr. Aderibigbe was indisposed. With that, the witness was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The name of the witness is Dr. Olumuyiwa Ayotunde Ogunlade. He is the Director of Clinical Services, Bowen University Teaching Hospital, Iwo. He is an obstetrician and a gynaecologist. He has been practicing as a medical doctor for 17 years.
The witness prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to adopt his written statement on oath dated May 20, 2021 as his evidence. He appeared before the panel to give evidence because he signed the medical report stating Jimoh Isiaq’s death.
Mr Afolabi, the petitioner’s counsel tendered the medical report before the Oyo State Judicial Panel and it was marked and admitted as exhibit. The witness was thereafter cross examined by the respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah and the members of the panel.
The petition was adjourned till June 10, 2021 for further hearing to enable the petitioner present his last witness and for the respondent to open a defence.
3. Case No. OYJPPB/056
The Family of Late Kehinde Omotosho v The Nigeria Police, SCID. The family was represented by Ademola Omotosho and Toyese Owoade (Esq.) and O. O. Fabinu (Esq.). Mr M. A. Ojeah and B. K. Olorukooba maintained appearances on behalf of the respondent.
The petition was last adjourned on April 29, 2021 to enable the respondent examine her witness. The witness was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Quran.
The name of the witness is Inspector Shuaibu Ibrahim. He is an officer attached to the State CID, Iyaganku. He said that the deceased was arrested based on the allegation levied against him.
According to the witness, the deceased was arrested on the 17th of July, 2020. He said that he led the team to arrest the deceased at a joint after which he was taken to his family house where he met an aged woman. He said that he told the deceased’s family that he would be taken to the State CID, Iyaganku.
He said that while the deceased was in custody, he was fed and was given all access to his family according to the law. He said that the deceased was rushed to the hospital at about 5am on the 20th of July, 2020 and died at about 11am on the 21st of July, 2020.
He said that the family members were called after the body of the deceased was deposited at Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road. He said that the authority of the force had a meeting with the family of the deceased and the family through their legal counsel, wrote a letter to inform the police that they were not interested in instigating a case.
He said that the family only requested for the body of the deceased so that he would be buried according to Islamic rites.
With that, the witness was cross examined by the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Owoade and the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
Mrs Oluwafolake Ogundele, the counsel to the Oyo State Judicial Panel pointed out that based on the order given by the panel at the last adjourned date, she wrote to Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road to inquire about the deceased and one of the doctors had appeared to give evidence before the panel.
The witness, Dr. Olawale was invited to the witness stand and he was sworn on the Bible. The witness said that the deceased was brought to the hospital at about 11:15am on July 21st, 2020 by one Sergeant Shuaibu Ibrahim of the State CID, Iyaganku. He said that the deceased was brought in dead and there was no sign of life in him. He said the deceased was moved to the morgue after he was confirmed dead.
The witness was cross examined by the respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah and members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Owoade said that one of the officers in Abuja called him on the phone to inform him that an autopsy would be carried out on the deceased, as part of an ongoing investigation.
He said that he told the officer that the family is not interested in the autopsy. He therefore prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel for the release of the corpse to the family, for necessary burial rites.
In respect of the application made by the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Owoade, the Oyo State Judicial Panel ordered that a letter should be written to Adeoyo State Hospital, Ring Road before the end of the day, to request for the release of the corpse so that the family can carry out the necessary burial rites.
Petition OYJPPB/056 was therefore adjourned sine die.
4. Case No. OYJPPB/062
Alhaji Olayinka Akinbo v Dr. Mohammed Tajudeen Ishola Lawal. The petitioner was present but was not represented by a legal counsel. The respondent was absent and was not represented by a legal counsel.
The petition was last adjourned to enable the petitioner amend her petition to include the Nigeria Police because they were used by the respondent to unlawfully arrest and detain her on several occasions.
The petitioner however told the Oyo State Judicial Panel that Dr. Lawal unfortunately passed away and she would like to withdraw the petition because there was no need to continue with the prosecution.
Due to the demise of the respondent as reported by the petitioner, petition OYJPPB/062 was struck out. The Oyo State Judicial Panel however sympathised with the petitioner because the respondent was her husband and further advised the petitioner to visit the secretariat because the mediation which had started would continue and necessary reliefs would be recommended at the end of the sitting.
5. Case No. OYJPPB/097
Gbadebo Baaki v Amotekun Security Corps. The petitioner was present and was represented by A. B. Bello (Esq.). Meanwhile, Mr Tosin Fijabi held the brief for Mr Olusola Orobode on behalf of the respondent.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Bello told the Oyo State Judicial Panel said that he would present the petitioner as the principal witness to the petition. He further prayed the panel to summon the doctor who treated the petitioner while he was unlawfully detained at the police station and the woman sergeant, Ganiyat who was in charge of the bail. With that, the petitioner was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Quran.
The name of the petitioner is Gbadebo Baaki. He lives at (redacted) Ibadan. He is a cobbler. He said that on the 13th of December, 2020 he was at the shop he rented at Kobomoje, Ibadan to arrange his working tools and equipment.
He said that when he finished, he went to see his friend’s dad, Oderinde Saheed who lived around Kobomoje. He said that when he got there, he didn’t meet both his friend and his dad at home but met a woman who sells food in the house.
He said that he stepped to the veranda to speak with his friend’s protégé when the officers of the Amotekun Corps approached him. He said that he was beaten with machetes and was thrown to the ground.
He said that the woman who was in the house challenged the Amotekun operatives and they threatened to beat her as well. He said that he was thereafter dragged to the police van and pepper spray was sprayed into his eyes.
He said that he could not see for a while and was bleeding due to the wound he sustained in the head. He said that he was thereafter taken to Idi-Aro Police Station where he was locked in the cell without being allowed to write a statement.
He said that a doctor was brought in to the police station to treat his wounded head but he rejected the offer. He said that the doctor thereafter cleaned the wound and gave him an injection.
He said that he was arrested at about 11am on the said date but was released later that night at about 10pm to his friend’s dad, Oderinu Saheed, (now late) who paid for his bail.
He prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel for a compensation of N5 million because his eyes have not been functioning properly since the incident.
The petitioner was thereafter cross examined by the respondent’s counsel, Mr Fijabi and members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
The petition was adjourned till June 2, 2021 for further hearing. The Oyo State Judicial Panel ordered that a letter of summon should be issued and served on the doctor who treated the petitioner while he was at the police station and woman Inspector Ganiyat, who granted his bail.
6. Case No. OYJPPB/082
The Family of Late Gbadebo Kolade Abiodun v Oyo State Security Network. The family was represented by Kolade Oni and a legal counsel, A. B. Bello (Esq.). Meanwhile, Mr Tosin Fijabi held the brief for Mr Olusola Orobode on behalf of the respondent.
The petition was last adjourned to enable the respondent open a defence. However, Mr Fijabi, the respondent’s counsel prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel for an adjournment because the relevant witnesses, the corps commandant and other officers of the force, went for a joint security patrol at Ojoo.
With that, the petition was adjourned till June 2, 2021 for further hearing to enable the respondent open a defence.
Having gone through the proceedings for today, the hearing was brought to a close at about 1:05pm.