Panel warns police not to take petitioners for granted

The Independent investigative panel of inquiry on the defunct special anti-robbery squad of the Nigeria police force set up to probe human rights violations by operatives of the force has warned the police not to take the petitioners for granted.

The warning followed the default of the counsel for police to produce deputy commissioner of police, Abba Kyari, who is the commander of, IGP intelligence response team.

At the resumed sitting of the investigative panel on Tuesday, DCP Abba Kyari who had been summoned to appear before the panel to give accounts of the alleged disappearance of one morris ashawe, was absent.

His counsel, james idachaba told the panel the Abba Kyari was on an assignment and so could not be present at the hearing.

The panel members who expressed displeasure told the police counsel not to take the panel and petitioners for granted.

One of the petitions mentioned on tuesday was that of the alleged etra-judicial killing of late ifeoma abugu.

READ ALSO: NiMet predicts dust haze for Monday

Ifeoma like most people who have been picked up by men of the sars police unit did not live to tell her story.

The police alleged ifeoma died of drug abuse, but Dr Ahmed Abimiku, a pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the deceased said she died of anoxia, stating that a toxicology test for harmful drugs came back negative, putting an end, debunking police claims that she died of drug abuse.

When the first respondent DCP Melai Isacc, was called up, he told the panel that the deceased was seen with a white substance which was confirmed to be cocaine by NDLE, he alleged that it was the overdose that lead to her death before dey got to the station.

He then decided to deposit her corpse in the gwagwalada specialist hospital.

He also mentioned that when the autopsy was conducted, he wasn’t satisfied with the outcome, so the CP decided to seek the expertise of one DR Izuchukwu Achus, a pathologist with the federal medical center, Abuja, who affirmed the police’s claims.

Another petitioner, 20 year old chigaemezu ojinnaka, narrated how insecure he feels whenever he hears of the police, following his encounter with them which has deformed his limb with no sensation in his feet and, consequently killed his dream of becoming a footballer.

Ojinnaka, who is half nigerian and half ukrainian said on the 14th april 2020, he was riding on a motorcycle, on his way to the hospital to visit his sick grandfather, when he was accosted by two policemen at a T junction, in njaba community, Imo state.

While trying to park the motorcycle, one of the policemen shot him on the foot at close range, accusing him to be a criminal, before they immediately fled the scene in a van marked no.18, with the inscription flush and search.

Chiagaemezu, told the panel that he was immediately taken to a hospital where he was rejected, later rushed to the federal medical centre in owerri, and despite 3 separate surgeries to remove the bullets in his foot, the pellets were still stuck in his leg.

He prayed the panel to fish out the police men who acted irresponsibly and prosecute them in accordance with the law. He also pleaded with the panel to order the police to compensate him for the pains suffered and for jeopardising his future potentials in life.

The panel urged the counsel for the police to find the police officers responsible and bring them to book.

The panel, therefore, adjourned all matters to 28 and 29 April 2021 for the continuation of the trial.