Panel recommends SARS operative’s prosecution over Ekiti teenager’s killing

The Ekiti State Panel of Inquiry into Allegations of Violations of Human Rights has recommended the prosecution of an operative of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for his alleged involvement in the killing of one 18-year-old Seun Awoyemi.

The panel chairman, Justice Cornelius Akintayo (rtd), yesterday ordered that the policeman, Corporal Festus Akinfolarin, be prosecuted through the office of the Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

The panel also recommended the petitioner, 70-year-old mother of the deceased, Mrs Abigail Awoyemi, be compensated with N1.5m to cater for Seun’s widow and son.

Akintayo also ordered the police authorities to release the corpse of the deceased, which was allegedly taken away from the scene of the crime by the SARS operatives to the family for proper b
urial.

The 70-year-old, had in her petition to the panel, alleged, “Officials of SARS came into my house at about 12noon on March 13, 2014, and dragged my grandson, Seun upon an allegation by a man, Mr. White, that Seun beat his son and while my younger sister was appealing to the police officers, she was hit by a bullet on her hand.

“I picked several bullets that were shot on that day which hit Lucia Afolayan and one handkerchief used to clean Seun’s blood on the ground by the SARS operatives”, she said, adding that the bullet holes on the walls were still in her house.

She tendered the report of the panel of inquiry set up to investigate the matter, which was admitted as exhibit.