Kogi Office of Public Defender submits EndSARS report

By Richard Elesho

The Kogi State Office of the Public Defender and Citizens’ Rights Commission, PDCRC, on Friday submitted its report of enquiry on the ENDSARS protests to Governor Yahaya Bello. The protests took place across the country in 2020.

At the event in Government House Lokoja, the Director General of PDCRC, Barr. Abdullahi Zakari, said the commission set up the Human Rights Special Interventions Committee, and was inaugurated on October 15, 2020, on the directive of the Governor.

”Today, we are submitting the Kogi State report of its findings and then making appropriate recommendations to Government on what to do.

”We identified the immediate and remote causes of the protests and also made recommendations for the purposes of implementation.

”So that such occurrence will be minimised if not completely stopped in some other time,” he said.

According to Zakari, the committee entertained 12 petitions out of which six of them were life issues.

He explained that at the commission’s level, they were able to address some issues that were not too serious, made recommendations and people have gotten results.

”In all, the recommendations would go a long way into resolving some of the issues that undermined the ENDSARS protests that swept across the country,” Zakari said.

In his response, the Governor commended the committee for a job well done, assuring that the State Government would look into the recommendations for implementation.

The Governor, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Dr Folashade Ayoade, promised to continue to give the necessary support to ensure that Kogi PDCRC is well positioned to deliver on its objectives.

”I want to assure you that every recommendation therein will be well noted and carry out because of my strong believe in promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights,” he said.

Earlier, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ibrahim Mohammed SAN, said Kogi PDCRC was a product of justice sector reforms established through the instrumentality of law.

Also speaking, the Kogi State Acting Chief Judge, Hon. Justice Josiah Majebi, appreciated the Governor for his proactive-ness in ensuring that human rights are promoted, protected and enforced in the state without interference.