This is a report of the fiftieth 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: Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
Today’s sitting commenced at about 9:45am, 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/043
Mr Afolabi Ayodamope v The Nigeria Police Force. The petitioner was present but was not represented by a legal counsel. Meanwhile, the respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah.
The petition was last adjourned to enable the respondent open a defence. However, Mr Ojeah, the respondent’s counsel said that he was not able to get in touch with his witness this morning. He promised to present his witness before the Oyo State Judicial Panel, on the next date of adjournment.
The petition was therefore adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till June 8, 2021 for the respondent to open his defence.
2. Case No. OYJPPB/017
The Family of Late Abass Lawal Adekoya v Commissioner of Police, Oyo State. The family was represented by Lawal Alimat and Olumide Ojedokun (Esq.). Meanwhile, the respondent was represented by Mr M. A. Ojeah.
Mr Ojeah, the respondent’s counsel said that he would present only a witness before the Oyo State Judicial Panel as his defence. With that, the witness was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The name of the witness is Aghedo Charles. He is an Inspector with the Nigeria Police. He was formerly attached to the Special Anti Robbery Squad, Oyo State Command but presently attached to Kebbi State Police Command. He said that he knows CSP Funke Fawole and he is aware of the reply she deposed to on the 3rd of April, 2021. He prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to adopt the reply to the petition as his evidence.
At this point, the Oyo State Judicial Panel raised an objection and instead ordered the witness to give oral evidence because the reply to the petition is not the same as a written statement on oath.
The respondent’s counsel, Mr Ojeah however prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel for an adjournment to enable him file the witness’s written statement on oath.
Thus, the petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till June 3, 2021 for further hearing to enable the respondent regularise his position.
3. Case No. OYJPPB/018
The Family of Late Mrs Sakirat Olaegbe v Commissioner of Police, Oyo State. The family was represented by Waheed Olaegbe, the deceased’s husband and a legal counsel, Olumide Ojedokun (Esq.). Mr M. A. Ojeah maintained appearance on behalf of the respondent.
The petition was last adjourned to enable the respondent open a defence. However, Mr Ojeah, the respondent’s counsel said that his witness, who appeared before the Oyo State Judicial Panel today, returned from the north last night and he was yet to extract a defence from him. He therefore prayed the panel for an adjournment.
The petition was therefore adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till June 8, 2021 to enable the respondent open a defence.
4. Case No. OYJPPB/039
Mr Olamide Onikosi v The Nigeria Police Station. The petitioner was present and was represented by Solomon Adegboyo (Esq.). Mr M. A. Ojeah appeared on behalf of the respondent.
The petition was last adjourned to enable the respondent open a defence. Mr Ojeah, the respondent’s counsel told the Oyo State Judicial Panel that he would present two witnesses before it. With that, the first witness was invited to the witness stand and was sworn on the Bible.
The name of the first witness is Akinkunmi Ademola. He is a Sergeant of the Nigeria Police Force. He is an officer attached to Iyaganku Police Division. He prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to adopt his written statement on oath which he deposed today, June 2, 2021 as his evidence.
The petitioner’s allegation before the Oyo State Judicial Panel is that the officers of the Nigeria Police Force beat him up and destroyed his vehicle. The witness however said that the incident happened on the 23rd of September, 2020 at about 12:30pm. He said that the petitioner was coming from Iyaganku and was heading towards Apata. He said that the petitioner stayed on the carriage heading towards Alesinloye. He said that the petitioner blocked the road and other road users were honking for him to give way.
He said that he sent one of his colleagues to address the petitioner but the petitioner refused to leave the lane. He said he approached the petitioner and told him to leave the lane but he refused. He said that he made an attempt to enter his car but the petitioner hit him with the car and he fell to the ground because he had a leg fracture prior to that time.
He said that the DTO intervened and the petitioner was taken to Iyaganku Police Station where he wrote an incomplete statement and also threatened to report him to his superiors in Abuja. He said that the petitioner thereafter apologised for what happened but no one listened to him.
He said that when the DPO saw the way the petitioner was begging, he inquired about what happened. He said that the incident was narrated to the DPO and the DPO ordered that the petitioner be charged to court for assaulting one of his officers.
He said that the Deputy Commissioner of Police of the station called the parties to his office the next day, 24th of September, 2020 and told them that his friend called him on behalf of the petitioner. He said that the petitioner apologised in the presence of the DCP and the matter was settled amicably.
He said that the petitioner was neither beaten nor was the windscreen of his car and phone smashed.
Mr Ojeah, the respondent’s counsel tendered the petitioner’s incomplete statement before the Oyo State Judicial Panel and it was marked and admitted as exhibit.
The witness was cross examined by the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Adegboyo and the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
It was however brought to the notice of the Oyo State Judicial Panel that the second witness would not be able to appear before it because he got an emergency phone call that his daughter fainted while in school and she was rushed to the hospital.
With that, the petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till tomorrow, June 3, 2021 to enable the respondent continue with the defence.
5. Case No. OYJPPB/097
Mr Baaki Gbadebo v Oyo State Security Network Agency. The petitioner was present and was represented by A. B. Bello (Esq.). Meanwhile the respondent was represented by Mr Olusola Orobode and Tosin Fijabi (Esq.).
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Bello recalled that he prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to issue and serve the witness summon on the nurse who treated the petitioner while he was in custody and Woman Inspector Ghaniyat, who was in charge of the case.
The counsel to the Oyo State Judicial Panel, Mrs Oluwafolake Ogundele however said that the summon was served on the witnesses yesterday and could not explain why they were not present before the panel.
The petition was therefore adjourned till June 15, 2021 for further hearing.
6. Case No. OYJPPB/082
The Family of Gbadebo Oni v Oyo State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps). The petitioner was present and was represented by A. B. Bello (Esq.). While the respondent was represented by Mr Olusola Orobode and Tosin Fijabi (Esq.).
The petition was last adjourned on the 20th of May, 2021 to enable the respondent open a defence. The respondent’s counsel, Mr Fijabi said that he would present two witnesses before the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
With that, the first witness was invited to the witness stand and he was sworn on the Quran. The name of the witness is Gbadamosi Saheed Adebayo. He is the coordinator of Amotekun Corps in Atiba Local Government Area. He prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to adopt his written statement on oath dated April 14, 2021 and April 26, 2021, as his evidence.
He said that the incident happened at about 12:20am on the 19th of December, 2020. He said that he had gone on patrol with his men to Orita Sabo due to the crisis in Oyo at that time. He said that when they got to Sabo, they came across a roadblock.
He said that they got down from the patrol van to see what was going on, when gunshots were fired at them. He said that they fired back in retaliation and the deceased died in the process.
He said that the other two suspects were arrested and taken to Atiba Police Station where they were asked to make a statement. He said that police officers were at the scene to search the deceased. He said that bullets, pistol and black soap were recovered from the deceased.
He said that his statement and that of the two suspects, Soliu Habeeb and Adebayo Azeez were taken at the police station.
The respondent’s counsel, Mr Fijabi tendered the statements before the Oyo State Judicial Panel and they were marked and admitted as exhibits.
The witness was cross examined by the petitioner’s counsel, Mr Bello and the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel.
In view of the fact that the second witness’s written statement on oath had not been filed before the Oyo State Judicial Panel, the petition was adjourned till June 8, 2021 for further hearing to enable the respondent continue with his defence.
Petitions for Hearing at the Oyo State Judicial Panel
7. Case No. OYJPPB/058
Comrade Sulayman Adeniyi and Anor v The Nigeria Police, Intelligence Response Team, Abuja. The first petitioner was present and was represented by W. A. Lamidi (Esq.). Meanwhile the respondent was absent and was not represented by a legal counsel.
The name of the petitioner is Comrade Sulayman Adeniyi. He works as a marketer in Ibadan. He is a member of the Veteran Organisation for Human Rights. He prayed the Oyo State Judicial Panel to adopt his written statement on oath dated May 6, 2021 as his evidence.
He said that the coordinator of the non-governmental organisation sent him to the police station on behalf of two suspects, Dotun and Yusuf, who were detained by the men of Intelligence Response Team, to find out why they were arrested.
He said that he was assaulted by the Intelligence Response Team. He said that he was kicked and beaten by six different policemen and was detained for 3 hours.
He said that he went to Agodi Police Hospital for treatment after he was released from detention and he was in the hospital for two days.
He tendered the medical receipt before the Oyo State Judicial Panel and it was marked and admitted as exhibit. He therefore prayed the court to compensate him with the sum of N10 million.
He was thereafter cross examined by the members of the Oyo State Judicial Panel and the petition was adjourned till June 8, 2021 for further hearing.
8. Case No. OYJPPB/090
Alfa Hamzat Ibrahim v Nigerian Correctional Service, Agodi Ibadan. The petitioner was present and was represented by J. O. Abdulsalam. Meanwhile the respondent was absent and was not represented by a legal counsel.
On the last adjourned date, the Oyo State Judicial Panel ordered the petitioner’s counsel to amend his petition to include Operation Burst, in order for the petition to fall within the panel’s jurisdiction.
The petitioner’s counsel, Mr Abdulsalam however said that he didn’t include Operation Burst in the petition because it was the men of Operation Burst who rescued the petitioner when he was shot in the eye and took him to University College Hospital, Ibadan for treatment.
He said that based on the order of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, he wrote a letter to the headquarters of the Nigerian Correctional Service. He said that the Comptroller General of the Service called him on the phone last week to inform him that the letter was received and promised that the petition would be investigated. He said that he however told the comptroller general that the petition is already before the panel.
With that the petition was adjourned till June 15, 2021 for hearing and to enable the petitioner furnish the Oyo State Judicial Panel with the report of the investigation.
Having gone through the proceedings for today, the hearing was brought to a close at about 4:10pm.