Nigeria To Set Up Teams To Probe Police Brutality

Nigeria's government has ordered the setting up of judicial panels in all the 36 states to investigate allegations of police brutality.

The panels will receive and investigate complaints of police brutality, including those linked to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, known as Sars.

The panels will also investigate incidents of police using excessive force against protesters since demonstrations started last week.

This is in addition to an independent panel of investigation to be set up by Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission.

Thousands of Nigerians have been protesting in major cities against police brutality.

Rights groups including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have condemned the use of force against demonstrators during the initial days of the protests.

They have called for police reforms and the prosecution of those responsible for brutality.

Amnesty said some 10 people were killed in the protests and hundreds injured.

The governor of Lagos state said police officers who allegedly opened fire on protesters there have been arrested and are being tried. But the demonstrators appear unsatisfied.