mission to razed buildings, properties

Dayo Johnson – Akure

The Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up to look into Police Brutality in Ondo State would be visiting premises of individuals whose properties were destroyed during the ENDSARS protest.

In all, a total of 17 persons including organisations have filed a petition seeking compensation for their destroyed properties.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice Adesola Sidiq said this in Akure when victims of the ENDSARS protest began the presentation of how they lost valuables during the protest.

Justice Sidiq said the panel would be visiting the site of the destruction to see the damage done for proper recommendations.

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A governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Engr. Ife Oyedele whose house was razed at Okitipupa had told the panel that he lost property worth N52m during the protest.

Speaking through his counsel, Omololu Bagbe, Oyedele listed the affected property to include his residential apartment in Okitipupa and his political campaign offices in Okitipupa and Akure.

Also, the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party said there was the destruction of the party’s Secretariat and other property in its secretariat.

Its state Secretary and Legal Adviser, Olusola Olujimi told the panel that part of the destroyed buildings was being rebuilt.

Olujimi however said a letter listing all the destroyed items was sent to governor  Rotimi Akeredolu before the renovation project commenced.

Meanwhile, the panel members later visited the PDP secretariat that was razed during the protest.

Its chairman was received by the State Chairman of the party, Hon. Fatai Adams and other members of the Party’s State Working Committee said the panel was at the Secretariat in order to have first-hand information on the level of damage caused to the Secretariat.

Justice Sadiq said the panel members cannot sit at the comfort of their offices and be guessing the level of destruction done to any property whether public or private and so they came on a fact-finding mission.

The State Chairman, Hon Fatai Adams who thanked the panel for the visit, said that the visit was indeed a big relief.

He conducted the panel members round the Secretariat and showed them the carcasses of the Party’s 30-seater coaster bus and a Sienna bus belonging to a member of the party.

The chairman also showed the panel members, pictures of the Secretariat burnt by the hoodlums and the debris of the demolished building.

Vanguard News Nigeria