In line with the Federal Government’s directive to state governments to take responsibility for some of the demandd of the protesting youths, Kogi state government has inaugurated a 10-man Human Rights Special Intervention Group (HRSIG) committee to help the victims of human rights abuse have access to justice.
The youth who have been on a peaceful protest across the country, are demanding among others, total disbandment of the Police Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) justice for all those killed by police and an end to police brutality.
In response to the demands of the youth the federal government disbanded SARS, and set up SWAT in its place.
It also directed state governments to set up panels of inquiry into extra judicial killings by police operatives, among others.
Inaugurating the committee on Friday, in Lokoja, the Director-General, Office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission (PDCRC), Abdulahi Zakari, noted that the setting up of the committee was a timely response by the ‘pro-youth and pro-poor,’ governor of the state, Yahaya Bello, to ensure that the rights of residents and citizens of the state were secured.
He also said that the inauguration was in response to the persistent violations of the rights of Kogi residents and the inability of the victims to access justice.
According to Zakari, members of the committee were drawn from relevant agencies, based on their track records.
He, therefore, urged them to consider their service as to God and humanity.
Some of the terms of reference given to the Human Rights Committe include; to respond to issues of domestic violence and abuses and other issues pertaining to violation of the fundamental human rights of the people of the state;
To respond to illegal arrests and detention by law enforcement agencies and submit monthly report to PDCRC;
To respond to the need for access to justice by the indigents and ensure the protection of their human rights.
The PDCRC Director-General noted that the committe would operate under PDCRC, which was established on June 3, 2019.
Commending the governor for his quick response to the yearnings of the citizens, particularly through the sweeping reforms of the criminal justice system in the state, Zakari noted that the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Ibrahim Mohammed (SAN), had been in the forefront of many great reforms in the criminal justice sector, such as the establishment of PDCRC.
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“Kogi is one of the very few states that have PDCRC to respond to the need for access to justice as one of the critical functions of government,” he stressed.
The Chairman of the commission’s Governing Council, Muizideen Abdullahi, urged members of Human rights committee to rise up to the challenge and handle their assignments with all the attention it deserved, saying it was a call to serve humanity.
Members of the committee were drawn from the Police, Department of State Service (DSD), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the National Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Office of PDCRC.
In his acceptance speech, the chairman of the commission, who is also the Vice-Chairman of NBA, Lokoja branch, promised that members would ensure they deliver on their mandate to the best of their abilities.
