Following the #EndSARS protests, aimed at addressing allegations of brutality and extrajudicial killings by operatives of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the judicial panels were set up to get justice for victims of police brutality.
Nigerians have taken to Twitter to react to a fresh move by the Nigeria Police Force to halt the judicial panels of enquiries constituted in various states of the federation to probe allegations of abuses and brutality against its operatives.
Following the #EndSARS protests, aimed at addressing allegations of brutality and extrajudicial killings by operatives of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, the judicial panels were set up to get justice for victims of police brutality.
The National Economic Council decided to set up the various panels of enquiry with members, including the 36 state governors and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
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But on Wednesday, the police, in a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja described the judicial panels as a contravention of the provisions of section 241(1)(2)(a) and Item 45, Part 1, First Schedule to the Constitution and Section 21 of the Tribunals of Inquiry Act.
In the suit, the Force had consequently prayed the court for the discontinuation of the ongoing probe into allegations of abuses by its operatives.
The development has since ignited heated controversies on Twitter with Nigerians expressing mixed reactions on the issue.
Some described the move as a welcome development, arguing that the judicial panels would only amount to a waste of public resources.
Festus Johnson @Okonofi, one of those with this school of thought, wrote, "I support the police on this oo, it's boring, and I don't see any meaningful thing coming out of it. It has already (been) compromised. CNN and The UK parliament have already done the job for us. They shouldn't waste funds."
Others, however, slammed the police for the move, noting that it showed the Force want its operatives to continue with their evil acts.
Commenting, Sylvester Oniriode Obigba @SylvesterObigba, wrote: "So what's your point @PoliceNG ??? Should the police officers be allowed to continue with their evil acts? Why do some lawyers take up jobs like this? Was the police and this SAN unaware of the set up of the panels?? Why is this government always at variance with themselves?"
For Idorenyin Etuk @IdorenyinEtuk5, the Nigerian Police Force is wasting its time with the order as citizens have become awakened to realities.
"NPF is wasting its time; we the citizens stand opposed to the wish to off the mic. We must decentralize policing in Nigeria. Enough of this nonsense, they must give account for their actions and face the law they are supposed to enforce," he wrote.
Aproko Doctor @aproko_doctor also wrote: "The commander in chief of the armed forces of Nigeria "approved" the judicial panels. An appointee, his employee, challenges the same judicial panels that his oga approved. Nigeria is an upside-down country or the plan was never to have the police probed."
In the same vein, @JacobMarveDan wrote "There is a coordinated plan to keep Nigerian youths quiet. There was never a plan to probe the NPF."
JT @Jesutodudu wrote: "So NPF is praying the court to dismantle the various states' judicial panels of enquiry probing human rights abuses by SARS and they claim that the states lack the power to investigate the NPF. The decision to set up the panel was by NEC which the VP is part of. That's federal!"