The National Economic Council (NEC) has resolved that payment of compensation to victims of #EndSARS should proceed with each State, in collaboration with the Federal Government, establishing the modalities for the settlement of all monetary compensations awarded by the panels.
Recall that 28 states across the country and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) set up judicial panels regarding EndSARS protests in October 2020.
All the judicial panels have concluded their sittings and the various state governors now in receipt of their reports.
Equally, NEC, which is composed of all State Governors in the Federation, representatives of the FG, and chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, also unanimously resolved during its monthly meeting to ensure the prosecution of persons indicted by the panels.
The 28 States that set up these Panels were Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, and Taraba.
Out of the 28 States, 11 States (Abia, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, and Rivers) have submitted their final reports to Council; with Lagos, set to finalise its sittings on 19th October 2021, submitting an interim report.
Governors of other States including Delta and Ebonyi at Friday’s meeting also indicated that their reports would be submitted soon.
The Council specifically directed States “to immediately forward copies of final reports of the panels to their Attorneys-General for prompt arraignment and prosecution of all indicted persons.
“Where incidents in the reports relate to matters of discipline, in addition to prosecution, NEC urged the Nigeria Police Force to take disciplinary action on the affected officers in line with the provisions of the Police Act 2020.”
Also rising from today’s NEC meeting, members strongly advised those planning protests to mark the anniversary of the ENDSARS to reconsider the option in view of “current security situation across the country and the possibility of such protests being hijacked by armed hoodlums and other opportunistic criminals to cause mayhem at such protest events and venues.”
