The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Anthony Ojukwu on Thursday disclosed that the commission had warned of imminent danger of Police brutality two years earlier before the EndSARS protest.
There were clear indicators and early signals sent to Federal and State Governments about the brutality of some police officers .
The commission disclosed this while briefing journalists ahead of this year’s human rights awards scheduled for December 10.
Ojukwu said, ” Even before the EndSARS protest of last year, the commission foresaw that what SARS was doing was going to burst one day”. According to him, the commission had as far back as 2017 investigated SARS and had submitted its reports in 2018 with appropriate recommendations.
He said,” We saw it at least two years ahead. When we submitted the report to the government we identified several police officers that were perpetrating abuses whom we recommended for persecution.”
He expressed joy that today, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to discipline indicted officers involved in the EndSARS brutality which were part of the government white paper recommendation.
According to Ojukwu, also as part of strategies to reduce the spate of violation of human rights in the country an annual human rights award had been instituted to encourage Institutions, agencies and civil society groups who are making meaning contributions towards the entrenchment of human rights in the country.
He said the commission was aware that there was gross abuse of rights in Nigeria, but would begin to honour government agencies , institutions, and civil society organisations that have been at the vanguards of human rights in the country in order to encourage them and others to continue to advance the cause of human rights.
According to him, committee set up to organize the ward has come up with criteria that would be considered in the selection process in the forthcoming human rights awards are in categories.
NHRC encourages all Nigerians to vote online for the selection process of the organisations, agencies of their choice based on the criteria.
The award , Ojukwu said would commemorate the annual world human rights day which is celebrated every December 10.