A group, Oyigbo Indigenous Lawyers Association has claimed that there was brutality by police and military following the #EndSARS protest.
The group which appeared before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry tried to present its case, but the petition was struck out.
Speaking with newsmen on behalf of the group, Barrister Higher King, a human rights advocate, said that they found there was police brutality in Oyigbo Local Government during the protest which was hijacked by Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
He said so many residents were brutalized by police and military.
The human rights advocate said that they came before the commission because they felt that the people of Oyigbo need a voice adding that they also need to be protected.
He said the group recommended that government should take over and own the local government and give it full attention.
He also said the group recommended that government should rebuild police stations and courts which were destroyed in the area.
The human rights advocate said that government should also curtail excesses of IPOB which was seen to be responsible for the destruction in the area.
He said the problem of the local government was the way it had been treated by present and previous governments.
He said while they would disagree with the panel’s position striking out the petition, they would abide by its decision, and promised to look at their prayers.
Speaking on the petition, Barrister King said: “We discovered that there was actually police brutality, military brutality and other groups that participated in the mayhem in Oyigbo. So we had to document and bring to the commission.
“We have several indigenes of Oyigbo that we know that were brutalized both by the military and the police. The indigenous people of Oyigbo need a voice and that is what we have come to say”.
