Nigeria: #EndSARS - Absence of Army Officers Stall Lagos Judicial Panel Proceedings allafrica.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from allafrica.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution, set up to investigate cases of police brutality and other related matters, has adjourned two cases till January 5 and 8, 2021, after some of those expected to appear before the panel failed to show up.
The panel commenced sitting at 11:00 am with only five out of the nine members present.
In the first case listed, the panel was to hear from the Nigerian Army.
On November 30, a Major-General Godwin Omelo was reportedly served a summon to appear before the panel today. But he was absent.
The panel was told that another Gen. Bello couldn’t be served with papers to appear as the service was refused.
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The panel, which is set up to probe police brutality and other related matters, had summoned Bello and Godwin Umelo, general officer commanding, 81 division, Victoria Island, Lagos, to explain their roles in the incident that took place at the Lekki tollgate area on October 20, 2020.
At the hearing on Saturday, the two army officers were absent, as their case was scheduled for hearing.
Explaining the outcome on the service of the summons, Ogunsanya said Umelo, who is a military general, was served and accepted the summons on November 30, 2020 around 6:04pm, but that of Bello could not be delivered as nobody agreed to receive it on his behalf.
The Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry and Restitution, set up to investigate cases of police brutality and other related matters, has adjourned two cases till January 5 and 8, 2021, after some of those expected to appear before the panel failed to show up.
The panel commenced sitting at 11:00 am with only five out of the nine members present.
In the first case listed, the panel was to hear from the Nigerian Army.
On November 30, a Major-General Godwin Omelo was reportedly served a summon to appear before the panel today. But he was absent.
The panel was told that another Gen. Bello couldn’t be served with papers to appear as the service was refused.
But the Commander of 81 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Taiwo, had debunked the claim.
One of the invitees, Bello, was the Commanding Officer of the 65 Batallion, which was at the toll gate on the evening of October 20.
Both Umelo and Bello as well as the military’s counsel were absent, as the panel’s proceedings resumed on Friday.
According the panel’s lawyer, Mr. Jonathan Ogunsanya, the panel had twice tried to serve the witness summons on the army, but soldiers at the gate rejected service.
Ogunsanya said, “It was on the order of this honourable panel that summons of the witness was issued and served to Major General Godwin Umelo for today’s proceedings and the same was received on the 30th of November 2020 precisely at 6:04 pm.