A retired judge in Osun State, Akin Oladimeji, has suggested to the Federal Government to estimate compensation due to victims of police brutality and deduct the amount from the salaries and pensions of the operatives.
Oladimeji, who chaired the panel that investigated cases of brutality and other forms of rights abuse by the officers and men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigerian Police in Osun State, spoke in Osogbo on Thursday at the presentation of cheques worth N53,290,000.00 as compensation to the victims.
While commending the Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, for fulfiling his promise to compensate the victims, Oladimeji lamented the continued occurrence of incidents of police brutality.
He insisted that until drastic steps, such as making the police pay compensation to victims of their acts of brutality from salaries and pensions of the cops, the menace may not end.
He said, “I am hearing for the first time that Delta and Lagos States have paid victims. I must salute the governor. Lagos State is the richest state in the country. They can afford to. Osun is at the lowest ebb of what comes in.
“The IGR is low, everything just started improving when the governor came in. Delta State is an oil-producing state. They can afford to dip their hands in money and spend anyhow. I salute the governor. I doubt if the federal government is reimbursing you for the money you are going to disburse today.
“Those who caused the trouble that led to the payment of this money are the police, an agency that belongs to the federal government. It is unfortunate. What they suppose to do is to calculate the whole amount recommended and start deducting the money from each police officer.
“Those who are retired, they should deduct from their pension and gratuities to stop them from further causing more injury to the public because when you go out, you still see them. They have refused to stop the impunity. The state government has no police and that is why some of us are advocating for the creation of state police.”
In his remarks, Governor Oyetola said his administration would spare no effort in creating an ambience of peace and tranquillity for the citizens across the state.
He said the decision to pay compensation, which ordinarily was not the responsibility of the state, since the police were not directly under the state’s control, was a further testament to the commitment of his administration to peace, and the rule of law.
He, however, reiterated that the list of all those that have secured judgement debts has been passed on to the federal government for necessary action, in line with the recommendation of the panel.
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