This is a report of the 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, February 4, 2021.
Today’s sitting commenced at about 9:05am, shortly after the arrival of the panelists.
Cases at the Oyo State Judicial Panel
1. Case No. OYJPPB/051
Hassan Muraina v The Nigeria Police, Saki Police Station. The petitioner was absent with no legal representative. CSP Funke Fawole appeared on behalf of the respondent. She agreed that she had been served with the processes but was yet to respond as expected.
Subject to the convenience of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, the petition was adjourned till March 4, 2021 for mention to enable the respondent respond to the petition and to issue a fresh hearing notice to the petitioner.
2. Case No. OYJPPB/052
Moyebi Ayowale v The Nigeria Police, Arowomole, Ogbomoso. The petitioner was absent and there was no legal representative on his behalf. CSP Funke Fawole and Mr O. J. Matthew appeared on behalf of the respondent. According to the Officer in Charge Legal, the petition had been received but the response was yet to be filed.
Therefore, the petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till February 17, 2021 for mention to enable the respondent file a response and to also issue a fresh hearing notice to the petitioner.
3. Case No. OYJPPB/053
Samuel Ogundeji v The Nigeria Police, Saki Area Command. The petitioner was absent but was represented by Ola F. A. Adeosun (Esq.) and Opeyemi Makinde. CSP Funke Fawole and Mr O. J. Matthew represented the respondent. However, the petition’s legal representative stated his desire to withdraw the petition as the petitioner no longer required his services.
Subject to the convenience of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, the petition was adjourned till February 17, 2021 to enable the petitioner to be personally present before the panel, when the counsel formally withdraws the petition.
4. Case No. OYJPPB/055
Mrs Olaiya v Unknown Protesters. The petitioner was absent at the sitting. The legal counsel to the Oyo State Judicial Panel, Mrs Oluwafolake Ogundele, informed the panel that the petitioner showed no interest when she was contacted about the sitting.
In view of the fact that Mrs Olaiya told the Oyo State Judicial Panel’s counsel that she did not instruct anyone to write a petition on her behalf, petition no OYJPPB/055 was struck out.
5. Case No. OYJPPB/056
Kehinde Omotosho’s Family v The Nigeria Police, C. I. D. Ibadan. The family was represented by Ademola Omotosho, Yusuf Sekinat, Omotosho Khadijat and Jelili Rasak. Also, Toyese Owoade (Esq.) appeared as a legal representative on behalf of the petitioner. While, CSP Funke Fawole and Mr O. J. Matthew represented the respondent.
However, in the course of the proceedings, it was discovered that two petitions were filed by the petitioner at the Oyo State Judicial Panel. The first petition has the file no OYJPPB/O32 while the second has OYJPPB/056. At the approval of the petitioner, petition no OYJPPB/032 was struck out and replaced with petition no OYJPPB/056.
Therefore, the petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till February 11, 2021 for mention.
6. Case No. OYJPPB/057
Mrs Mosunmola Labinjo Osikoya v Nigeria Police, Housing Police Station. The petitioner was present but there was no legal representative on her behalf. CSP Funke Fawole and Mr O. J. Matthew appeared on behalf of the respondent.
The petition was therefore adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till February 17, 2021 for mention to enable the respondent obtain pro bono services of a lawyer and to also allow the respondent file a response to the petition.
7. Case No. OYJPPB/058
Comrade Suleiman Adeniyi and Comrade Olanrewaju Adebayo v The Nigeria Police. The first petitioner was present while the second petitioner was absent. CSP Funke Fawole and Mr O. J. Matthew appeared on behalf of the respondent.
Subject to the convenience of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, the petition was adjourned till March 3, 2021 for mention.
8. Case No. OYJPPB/059
Mr Ayodele Francis Olutoyin v Federal Road Safety Commission. The petitioner was present but there was no legal representative on his behalf. However, the legal counsel to the Oyo State Judicial Panel, Mrs Ogundele, explained that the respondent was not served because the petition has nothing to do with police brutality.
Having listened to the petitioner, the panelists opined that the respondent should be served as the petition has to do with violation of human right.
Therefore, the petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till February 11, 2021 for mention, to enable FRSC to be served the hearing notice attached to a copy of the petition.
9. Case No. OYJPPB/060
Comrade Olusegun Ogundepo v Nigeria Police, Agugu Division. The petitioner was present at the sitting but there was no legal representative on his behalf. CSP Funke Fawole and O. J. Matthew maintained appearances on behalf of the respondent.
The petition was adjourned by the Oyo State Judicial Panel till February 11, 2021 to enable the respondent file a response to the petition.
10. Case No. OYJPPB/027
Odoye Kannike Community v Unknown Protesters. Mrs Ajayeoba Mercy Solola appeared on behalf of the community while Lekan Idowu (Esq.) appeared as the legal representative of the community.
Subject to the convenience of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, the petition was adjourned till March 3, 2021 to enable the petitioner to regularise the processes.
Having gone through the proceedings, the Chairperson of the Oyo State Judicial Panel, Hon Justice Badejoko Adeniji gave those present at the sitting the opportunity to ask questions, and answers were provided appropriately. She further urged the petitioners to work hand in hand with their lawyers by providing them with the information needed for the petition. With this, today’s sitting was brought to a close at about 12:05pm.