By Abba Gwale
Rivers State Executive Council has said men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad involved in brutality and other human rights violations should compensate their victims.
The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor (SAN), said this while addressing the journalists after the state Executive Council Meeting presided by the state Governor, Nyesom Wike, said the state should not take the responsibility of compensating victims because the police is not part of the state government.
Governor Wike set up five-man Committee to formulate a draft White Paper on the recommendations of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry that investigated brutality and violation of fundamental human rights of citizens by the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the state,
The Committee had on Wednesday, submitted its report to the Executive Council at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
“Executive Council has already accepted the conclusion of the White Paper Committee that compensation payable to victims of police brutality should be paid by police officers, who were found culpable or by police authorities because, in law, there is no way you can hold the state (Rivers) accountable for the acts of police officers, who are not agents of the state,” Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor said.
He added that, “As far as the issue of compensation is concerned, any compensation payable should be paid either by the police officer involved in those acts of brutality or by the Nigerian Police Force.”
He however said the Executive Council also directed his office to liaise with the judiciary in ensuring that quarterly reports were submitted to his office in respect of the provision under the administration of Criminal Justice Law.
The Attorney General further said some of those provisions require that on monthly basis, the Commissioner of Police informs the Attorney General about the number of persons held in police custody and the reasons therefore.
