Enugu State governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi on Thursday, addressed the people of the state over the unfortunate hijack of the peaceful #EndSARS protests by miscreants, which led to acts of violence, criminality and destruction of public and private property.
Ugwuanyi, who condemned the acts of violence and criminality perpetrated by the hoodlums, sympathized with victims of the violent protests.
He appealed most passionately to youths of Enugu involved in the mayhem “to have a rethink, pull back and allow measures instituted to address our collective pains to play out”.
Ugwuanyi disclosed that his administration has inaugurated the Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate complaints of police brutality and/or related extra judicial killings in the state, reiterating that the 24-hour curfew imposed in Enugu East, Enugu North and Enugu South Local Government Areas of the state is still in place.
He appealed to the protesting youth saying : “Let us take back our hitherto peaceful Coal City from hijackers of the peaceful protesters and perpetrators of violence and criminality who do not represent our collective wishes”.
Ugwuanyi called on parents and guardians to restrain their wards from engaging in any unlawful conduct. He also appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders and stakeholders to help in calming frayed nerves,
maintaining that “Enugu is our common heritage, our home and we deserve to live, work and rejoice in it”.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the governor to receive and investigate complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings in the state has commenced work, calling on interested members of the public to submit memoranda.
The eight-man panel chaired by Justice Kingsley Ngwu Udeh (rtd.), in a statement by its Secretary, Onochiengwu Obuna, said the memoranda should be in 12 hard copies of A4 size paper with double spacing and addressed to ‘The Secretary, Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality and Extra Judicial Killings. C/o Enugu State Judiciary Headquarters, Old High Court (3), Enugu.
The Memoranda, which should be submitted not later than November 20, 2020, “can also be submitted with the Registrars at the Zonal Judiciary Offices at the following locations: Nsukka High Court; Ogbede High Court; Obollo Afor High Court; Oji River High Court; Ezeagu High Court; Udi High Court; Awgu High Court; Agbani High Court; Enugu Ezike High Court”.
“A soft copy of the memorandum shall be submitted by E-mail to the following E-mail address:[email protected]”, it added, and further disclosed that “the Judicial Panel of Inquiry will hold public sittings inside the Old High Court 3 at the Enugu State Judiciary Headquarters Enugu, on dates to be announced later”.
The panel of inquiry assured that ,“the responsive Government of Enugu State will be thorough, firm and decisive in implementing the report and recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Enquiry on Police Brutality and Extra-Judicial Killings in the state.
“Interested members of the public can call or send text messages to the Secretariat of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on any of the following numbers: 08034272867, 08033062359, 08037722569 and 08036767229 between the hours of 8am – 4pm on weekdays, for further enquiries”.
The panel has six months to submit its report.
