Ekiti to compensate #ENDSARS victims with N7.2m

The Ekiti State Government has disclosed plans to pay N7. 2 million in compensation to 24 petitioners in 14 days.

Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda made this known during a visit to the panel sitting in Ado Ekiti, on Friday.

“Gov. Kayode Fayemi will not wait until the panel submits its final report before processing the implementation of the recommendations.

“The compensation which will be paid within the next 14 days. We are happy to announce today that the process has begun. We are renewing our process to strengthening our Departments to respond to Human Rights Violations, the Governor has also directed a holistic review of our Criminal Laws to review the cases of victims of our Criminal Justice System”.

“The State executive council have approved the Ekiti victim charter Bill for onward transmission to the House of Assembly”, he stressed further.

”The Executive Council has approved the payment of compensations so far in the ongoing inquiry to 24 petitioners recommended by the panel to receive N7. 2 which includes seven Police Officers who suffered losses in the course of their duty,” he said.

Responding, the Chairman of the Panel, rtd Justice Cornelius Akintayo, said that the panel received 85 petitions between Nov. 2, 2020 and Dec. 1, 2020.

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Justice Akintayo said 24 petitions were struck out, or inadmissible for lack of jurisdiction, lack of diligent prosecution, and withdraw of petitions by petitioners.

He said 27 recommendations have been issued while eleven (11) petitions are still on-going for trial.

It would be recalled that on Dec. 30, 2020, the panel recommended the amount as compensation to some victims who complained about different forms of injustices and destruction to their properties during the October EndSARS protests.