A grandfather, Chief Clement Garuba has lost his sight after being struck in the face by a police teargas canister during the recent #EndSARS protest in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State.

He said this to newsmen after he appeared before Edo State judicial Panel of Inquiry on alleged abuses by Nigeria police and other related matters on Thursday in Benin City.

The 70-year-old high-ranking Chief in Ekpesa Community, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the State alleged that he suffered the devastating injury at elders Council meeting in the Community when security personnel swopped on him and other elders.

“When we were discussing village matter, with the youth, the elders, suddenly, police just came into the meeting, shot teargas into my eyes.

“The police did not only teargassed me, he took me and my fellow Chiefs to the station and detained us for three days”, he said.

He also alleged that he has lost everything including his farm and that he is finding it difficult to cope with life.

“Before the incidents, I was seeing with my two eyes, going to the farm and taking care of my nine children and my wife but now, I can’t. I am suffering deeply.

“The farm I cultivated before the police blinded my eyes with their teargas, I couldn’t harvest them, they were left at the mercies of thieves”, he said.

He alleged that he decided to approach the panel for compensation and requested it to invite the said police officers who detained him with other Chiefs to face justice.

In the meantime, the Edo State judicial Panel of Inquiry has received a total of 157 petitions from different petitioners across the State.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (rtd), revealed this on Thursday in Benin City.

She assured the petitioners that the panel will do justice to all the cases brought before it.

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