GOODNEWS! Police Withdraws Suit Against ENDSARS Probe Panels

Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has withdrawn the suit against #EndSARS probe panels.

News Rain Nigeria gathered that Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has applied to the Federal High Court, Abuja for the withdrawal of the suit it filed to stop various panels probing allegations of rights abuses and other acts of impunity by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police officials.

The suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1492/2020 was filed on November 9, 2020, by the NPF, through its lawyer, O. M. Atoyebi (SAN), argued that the establishment of panels of inquiry by the state governors to investigate the activities of the force violates, “Section 241(1)(2)(a) and item 45, part 1, first schedule to the constitution and section 21 of the tribunals of inquiry act.”

In the notice of discontinuance filed early on Friday by a lawyer to the NPF, Festus Ibude, reads: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein intends to and doth hereby wholly withdraws its suit against all the defendants.”

Police Withdraws Suit Against ENDSARS Probe Panels

Listed as defendants in the case include the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the attorneys-general of the states, and chairmen of the panels set up by the states.

It would be recalled that the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, has disowned the suit challenging the legality of the states’ judicial panels of inquiry investigating allegations against defunct SARS.

The IGP had directed an immediate investigation into the lawsuit and the alleged role of the Force Legal Section and also expressed the disapproval of the Force Management Team on the matter.