#EndSARS: Nigeria Police Withdraws Suit  Challenging States’ Judicial Panels of Inquiry

The Nigeria Police has applied for the withdrawal of a suit that sought to stop several states’ judicial panels of inquiry investigating allegations of brutality and human rights abuses against the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other police tactical units.

ARISE News had reported that the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/CS/1492/2020 was filed by the police counsel O.M Atoyebi who had argued that the establishment of panels of inquiry by state governors to investigate its activities was illegal and unconstitutional.

The decision to set up the various judicial panels of inquiry was taken by the NEC, whose members include the Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the country’s 36 state governors in the aftermath of the recent nationwide #EndSARS protests, with demonstrators demanding an end to police brutality and bad government.

Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu had on Thursday, denied authorizing the filing of the suit, with the plaintiff through one of its lawyers, Festus Ibude, filed a notice of discontinuance of the suit on Friday.

Part of the notice read: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein intends to and doth hereby wholly withdraws its suit against all the defendants.”

By Abel Ejikeme