#EndSars: Police Brutality Victims, Embarks On Peaceful Protest, Urge Governor To Pay Compensation

Police Brutality Victims, Embarks On Peaceful Protest, Urge Governor To Pay Compensation

Business activities, as well as vehicular movements, were on Monday paralysed in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, by victims of Police brutality.

Protesting the non-payment of the compensations awarded to them by the Christopher Awubra-led panel, they urged Governor Darius Ishaku to make funds available for the panel to tidy up their report for onward transmission to the National Economic Council (NEC).

Armed with placards of various inscriptions, the protesters, who matched through Barde Way to the government House, expressed sadness at the lukewarm attitude of the state government towards their plights.

Led by John K. Yonnana and Ali Danladi, the protesters urged the government to act fast in order to prevent their colleagues from untimely deaths.

The protesters lamented that as at the time of filing this report, the state government has not deemed it fit to support the panel with the much needed funds to tidy up their report.

Perturbed that the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is at the verge of concluding its assigned responsibilities, the victims, who could not fathom why the findings and recommendations of the Awubra panel have not been submitted to the council, faulted Ishaku for the delay.

“Our main purpose of embarking on this peaceful protest to the government House, is for the governor to tell us why the Christopher Awubra panel reports have not been presented to the NEC,” they said.

“We are very much aware that the NEC will be sitting on the 20th of this month to concluded on how to disburse the compensation funds to the affected victims, we are worried and traumatized in Taraba because the panel’s reports are still lying here in our state.”

The protesters, who said they are aware of the fact that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, through the NEC, has written on several occasions to the state governors to submit the states panel’s reports felt said that such directives were at no time taken serious by the Taraba government.

Though no government officials were around to receive the protesters at the government house, they vowed not to leave until their demands are met.

Also expressing their dismay at the way and manner the state government has relegated the panel to the background, the chances of the victims missing out of the entire exercise, according to a member of the panel is very high.

A panel member, who spoke with Newsmen on the condition of anonymity, said: ” We have since played our parts. We have compiled the reports but we are yet to type, print and bind them because of fund”.