VICTIMS of Nigerian police brutality have been awarded about £607,000 in compensation by the National Human Rights Commission.

It follows investigations into complaints by families of the victims who accused the police of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, illegal arrests, prolonged detentions and illegal seizures of properties.

Nationwide protests against police brutality and the violation of human rights by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) police unit broke out in October 2020.

Within days of the demonstrations, which were met with brutal force by police, leading to the death of 12 people, the Nigerian Police Force said it was dissolving the unit immediately.

It was later revealed that Sars officers had been reassigned to other areas.

Fifty-eight people, mostly members of victims’ families, will be awarded shares of the compensation money.

Commission head Tony Ojukwu said the payment was made as a government apology to the victims to acknowledge that their rights had been violated.