JUST IN: Police Withdraw Suit Against #ENDSARS Panels

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Friday, November 4, 2020, applied to withdraw a suit filed to stop the #EndSARS judicial panels of inquiries set up by state governments to probe alleged cases of police brutality and other cases of human rights abuses.

The notice to withdraw the suit by another NPF lawyer, Festus Ibude reads: “Take notice that the plaintiff herein intends to and doth hereby wholly withdraws its suit against all the defendants.”

Naija News earlier reported that the Nigeria Police Force had activated legal procedures to stop the #EndSARS judicial panels of inquiries.

The Police in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1492/2020 filed on November 9, 2020 by its lawyer, Mr. O. M. Atoyebi before the Federal High Court in Abuja asked the court to stop the panels as the Police Force is not answerable to state governments under Nigeria’s constitution.

They argued that by virtue of the provisions of 241(1)(2)(a) and Item 45, Part 1, First Schedule to the Nigerian Constitution only the Federal Government had exclusive power to “organize, control and administer the Nigeria Police Force”.

The suit wants the court to declare the action of the various state governments as “unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

However, the IGP, Mohammed Adamu, expressed disapproval for the court case and instructed immediate investigation be carried out on the suit and persons behind it.

He also issued a query to the Force Legal Officer over the court case attempting to stop judicial panels.