Nigeria's police brutality victims paid $700,000

The National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria has given victims of police violence nearly $700,000 (£607,000) in compensation.

58 persons, primarily relatives of victims of rights breaches, received awards of varying amounts.

It comes after investigations into allegations made by the families of victims who alleged that the police had committed extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, unlawful arrests, unjustified detentions, and illegal property seizures.

The payout, according to Tony Ojukwu, the head of the human rights commission, was the government's way of saying sorry to the victims for violating their rights.

He stated that the commission's objective is to defend Nigerians' rights, thus the financial payout should not be interpreted as representing the true cost of the infractions or harm incurred by victims.

The Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) police unit's use of excessive force and violations of human rights in October 2020 sparked a widespread demonstration with the hashtag #EndSars.