Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The Abia State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Extra-judicial Killings and Other Related Matters has began sitting in Umuahia with the chairman, Justice Sunday Imo (Rtd), assuring that the panel would discharge it’s duties without fear of favour in line with the mandate of the state government in setting up the panel.
Justice Imo also assured that the panel throughout it’s sittings would ensure that all the complaints were given the required attention.
While charging all persons making presentations before the panel to maintain the highest level of professionalism and decorum in presenting their matters, he warned that the Panel would not tolerate any form of misconduct.
He thanked Governor Okezie Ikpeazu for the confidence reposed in them and promised that they would try to complete their job within the stipulated time.
In their separate speeches, Mrs. Eunice Nwaigwe, Mr. Iroabughike Prince and Mr. Boniface Okoro who spoke on behalf of Women Societies of Nigeria, Youths and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) respectively called on the panel to ensure it discharged it’s duties with every sense of fairness to ensure that complainants get justice.
Speaking in an interview, the chairman, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Umuahia Branch, Oliver Amuzie said their decision to provide free legal aide for indigent complainant(s) throughout the sitting of the panel was in line with the directive from the national leadership of the association.
The Umuahia NBA chairman said that the association has implicit confidence in the panel, that it would deliver on its mandate.