Bill to compensate ENDSARS victims passes second reading in Senate

The Senate Wednesday passed for second reading, a bill seeking to compensate victims of the ENDSARS protest.

The proposed legislation titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Amend the National Emergency Management Agency Act was sponsored by Senator Bassey Gershom who said the bill sought to provide for the establishment of the Endsars Victims Compensation Fund.

Tens of thousands of Nigerian youths, in 2020, took to the streets to protest against police brutality.

During the nationwide demonstrations, known as Endsars protest, some police officers and protesters were killed and public and private property destroyed by hoodlums, who seized and took over the protest vandalizing and looting valuable assets.

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Judicial panels of inquiry were constituted in different states to address the demands of the protesters and compensation for victims. However, there were complaints about the implementation of the panels’ recommendations.

Senator Bassey said establishment of the Fund and implementation of the recommendation of the judicial panel of inquiry and the Senate Joint Committee on Endsars would bring succor to the victims of the 2020 Endsars nationwide protest.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan referred the bill to the Committee on Special Duties.