The Oyo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry into police brutality, yesterday, held its maiden sitting at the House of Chiefs, State Secretariat, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

At the sitting, the panel’s Chairperson, Justice Badejoko Adeniji (rtd), decried the absence of the police as a respondent to several petitions.

Out of 10 cases mentioned at the day’s sitting, the police had no representative for five of the cases.

Cases mentioned at the sitting were those of Jimoh Isiak family, Ganiyu Moshood, Taiwo Adeoye, and Pelumi Olatunji against the Nigeria Police Area Command, Owode, Ogbomoso; one Olayiwola Oyedokun against the Bodija and Iyana Offa police stations; one Babatunde Lawal against the Inspector-General of Police and five others.

Others are one Lance Corporal Adeborijo Samuel against the Police Intelligence Response Team, Abuja, and one Idris Solala versus Nigeria Police, Ogbomoso Command.

Adeniji said the panel would speak with the state’s Commissioner of Police (CP), Ngozi Onadeko, on the importance of the police appearing before the panel.

She, however, asked the panel’s registry to once more serve the various petitions on the police, while some of the cases were adjourned to new dates for mention and others adjourned for a definite hearing.

In a remark, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ibadan Branch, Mr. Olayinka Esan, urged the panel to carefully evaluate the evidence presented by the petitioners and give recommendations in accordance with the law and good conscience.