Following the EndSARS protest going on in some states across the nation, the Presidency has today appealed to citizens to eschew violence as the Federal Government is working towards police reform.
Femi Adesina, the Presidential spokesperson stated this yesterday that the presidency has renewed commitment to implementing reforms in the policing system in the country.
Adesina said President Buhari has approved the establishment of the Judicial Panel of Enquiry in 13 states of the federation to look into all allegations and serve justice to the victims of the police brutality.
The resolution was reached during the National Economic Council (NEC) to address the problems that lead to the protest in the first place, saying the pilot states currently are; Lagos, Kaduna, Delta, Ekiti, Ogun, Anambra, Enugu, Imo, Plateau, Edo, Nasarawa, Ondo and Akwa Ibom.
President Buhari who hailed the state governors for their prompt action promised to assist them in bringing the culprits to justice and compensation of the victims.
The NEC which was chaired by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo reached the resolution on 15th October 2020, to establish a panel of inquiry across all the affected states to investigate the allegation.
Plenty of persons were injured while others lost their lives when hoodlums were allowed to hijack the protest, especially in Abuja and Lagos state.
Amongst the victims were security agents, pro and anti-SARS protesters, and in some cases some passer-by.
Following the clash between the protesters and the security agents that leads to killing some criminal elements amongst the protesters, the youth re-mobilized and started rising down public properties this afternoon.
Among properties raised down were; House of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s mother at Surulere was also said to have been set ablaze, the headquarters of the Television Continental (TVC) in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the presidency said they had in June 2019 signed a bill establishing the Police Trust Fund, to mobilize additional funding for the welfare and equipping of the Nigeria Police Force.
Adesina revealed “Accrual of funding into the Fund, as specified in its enabling Act, has commenced.
“President Buhari in 2018 approved an increase in Police salaries and the Police personnel budget has seen a rise from 288 billion Naira in the 2018 Budget to 417 billion Naira in the proposed 2021 budget; an increase of 45 percent.
“The President in September 2020 signed the new Nigeria Police Act, the first comprehensive revision of the Police Act in decades.
“The President has also approved the full implementation of the report of the 2018-2019 Presidential Panel on Police Reform.
“The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Police Service Commission (PSC) have now commenced the implementation of the Report,” he said.
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