The Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters sitting in Lagos today 28th May, 2021 adjudicated on 7 petitions brought before it.
In the first petition of the day between Mrs. Gloria Ngozi Ezeh vs the Nigeria police force, the petitioner counsel adopted his final written address dated 11th of May, 2021 in which it urged the panel to grant the reliefs sought in. However, the Nigeria police counsel did not file an address and is not opposed to the address of the petitioner, but opposed the address of the counsel to the Lagos State government on the grounds that it is not a party to the matter, it quoted copiusly from the Nigeria Weekly Law Report (NWLR) to substantiate his submission. My Cyril Ajiofor the police counsel stated that he is opposing the Lagos State government counsel final address because the petition is solely between the petitioner and the Nigeria police which is the respondent.
Recall that early in the life of the Lagos State judicial panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters, the police had opposed the filing and adoption of final address by the counsel of the Lagos State government on petitions before the panel on the grounds that it is not a party to the petitions in whatever capacity, but it’s objection was overruled by the panel.
Ruling on the adoption of final written address by parties, the panel reserved it’s decision to a date to be communicated to counsels in due course.
The panel then conducted hearings into 6 other petitions of which some were adjourned for further hearing while for some others, the panel ordered the counsels to file final written address for adoption before the next adjourned date.
The Lagos panel sitting continues.
