•SARS Panel gives Police 6-Day ultimatum over missing person
•Police team abandons IIP-SARS despite the quantum of allegations against the institution
•IIP-SARS conducts wearing without the Police legal team
Mukaila Ola
Compensation of N3 billion has been demanded against the police for brutality of tricycle riders and seizure of 150 tricycles in Delta State.
A witness, Comrade Godwin Ikolo on Thursday pleaded with the Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct SARS and other units of the Nigerian Police Force to order N3 billion compensation against the Police in favour of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association (NCTMORA), Delta state chapter, following alleged brutality and seizures of over 150 tricycles and motorcycles belonging to the association.
Testifying before the panel, the witness alleged that a task force comprising some police officers, Delta state Ministry of Transport and the state Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) had at various times arrested, brutalized, detained their members for no justifiable reason.
According to the witness who is also the National Public Relations Officer NCTMORA, the harassment and intimidation of their members by the Delta state task force led to the extra- judicial killing of late Joseph Ovedje.
He also stated before the panel presided over by Dr. Garba Tetengi on behalf of the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) that the Delta state task force working with the police and other agencies of government in the state had impounded of over 150 tricycles and motorcycles belonging to his association and had refused to release them till date.
He said that those vehicles have been vandalized and that they need to be compensated to replace them, noting that the cost of one tricycle is N1.2m while one motorcycle is N530,000.
The witness who is also the Chairman of the National Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association, Delta state informed the panel that his members have been maliciously prosecuted amid other alleged forms of human rights violations.
According to him, a similar association recognized by the state governments as the state owned tricycle and motorcycle operators usually connive with the state task force to frustrate the operations of his own association in the state.
He further alleged that Delta state Ministry of transport expects his association to collapse into the state transport body, which according to him is not acceptable since they are fully registered to operate in the state.
Counsel to the Complainants, D. Faroae who led the witness in his testimonies, agreed with the panel that Comrade Godwin Ikolo testimonies are enough and therefore there might not be any reason to call more witnesses.
The panel adjourned the matter to 9th of March, 2022 for cross-examination of PW1 (Comrade Godwin Ikolo) and continuation of hearing.
Meanwhile, the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Human Rights Violations by the Defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other Units of the Nigeria Police (IIP-SARS) on Thursday expressed dismay over the absence of the Nigeria Police legal team before the Panel sitting in Abuja.
The panel was set up by the Federal Government in November 2020, following the #EndSARS Protest which was triggered by nationwide allegations of police brutality.
The Secretary of the Abuja Panel who also doubles as the Human Rights Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission , Mr. Hillary Ogbonna, expressed the disappointment of the panel while briefing newsmen on the failure of police to be present at the panel sitting on the 3rd day of the resumed sitting in 2022 .
Ogbonna expressed surprise that no member of the police legal team was present at the panel in spite of the efforts by the panel to deliver its assigned tasks at a stipulated period.
“If this non-punctuality attitude of the police becomes a pattern it is capable of bringing setback to the mandate of the panel”
“The panel will continue to engage the police authority and other stakeholders to seek their cooperation to ensure that justice is done to the victims of police brutality.
However, he said “the records of the entire proceedings especially todays’ will be given to the police without any charge”.
11 cases of various degrees of human rights violations were slated for hearing and none of them had police representation.
In a related development, the police team has abandoned the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other units of the Nigerian Police Force since the resumed sitting of the Panel on the 1st of March 2022. This is evident in the near absence of the police legal team at the panel despite proper information and hearing notices following the 2022 resumption of sitting.
At the resumed sitting the panel had only one police counsel, Mr. Kenneth Egbuchua who represents the institution, and policemen that are listed as respondents in all the cases before the panel.
When contacted by the Commission, lead counsel to the police at panel Mr. James Idachaba, who was also not present at the panel, told the Commission that he has detailed members of the police legal team to be at the panel unfailingly as he has an assignment outside his jurisdiction.
The stressful-looking Mr. Ebuchua who goes in and out of the sitting intermittently seems to be overwhelmed with the task he has to single-handedly undertake at the panel. The panel at a point had to wait for him to come back before it proceeds when he went to answer the call of nature. Such a needless vacuum ought not to have been created if the police had taken their duties at the panel seriously in the last couple of days after the panel’s resumption.
It would be recalled that the panel had suffered several setbacks and adjournments due to the lack of cooperation on the part of the police whose counsel has either refused to appear before the panel or refused to send signals to compel its many officers involved in cases before the panel to appear before it.
It should be put on record that the role of the police in the protection of lives and properties of citizens can never be over-emphasized. The panel members have severally warned the police not to frustrate the effort of the panel but this seems not to have made any impact considering their attitude at the resumed sitting of 2022.
Dr. Garba Tetengi who stood in for the panel Chairman, Justice Sulaiman Galadima said “we tend to believe now that the police have abandoned us, they are just leaving one counsel here”
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is therefore using this medium to call on the hierarchy of the police institution to do the needful and take the IIP-SARS panel seriously saying it is determined to fight for the rights and dignity of every person leaving in Nigeria.
In the event that the police fail to heed this call and take the necessary steps to discharge their responsibilities at the panel, the Commission will be left with the option to invoke its powers under the NHRC Amendment Act 2010.
Similarly, another member of the panel, John Aikpokpo Martins also cautioned the police in a case of alleged extra-judicial killing where the police was not forthcoming with the defence of the petition occasioned by the absence of some police officers allegedly involved in the matter.
The panelist who represents the Nigerian Bar Association in the panel told the sole police lawyer when the said case was called up at the panel, Kenneth Egbuchua that it is in the best interest of the affected police officers to appear and assist the panel to arrive at a just decision in the matter.
According to him, it will be “dangerous” for the police not to inform these officers about the cases against them, and ensure that they are available at the panel, because at the end of the day, the panel may recommend their dismissal or prosecution as the case may be.
It will be recalled that during last year’s proceedings at the panel, the police paraded a reasonable number of counsel who barely struggled with the enormous cases brought against them. Now that the police have only one counsel, it logically raises doubt as to the seriousness of the institution concerning the serious human rights allegations against them.
Meanwhile, the Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct SARS and other units of the Nigerian Police Force on Tuesday gave the police a six-day ultimatum to explain why they refused to obey the order to produce a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
The panel had ordered the Nigeria Police Force to produce before it the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) legal in the Force Headquarters over the case of alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of John Emeka Alozie, a directive which was yet to be obeyed at Tuesday’s sitting of the IIP-SARS.
The Police are also requested to produce Inspectors Obiazo, Sunday Okpe and Uzo Emeana of defunct SARS Awkuzu, Anambra state and police case file on the matter to aid the panel to establish the whereabouts of the victim on the 7th of March, 2022 being the next adjourned date for the matter.
A member of the panel, Dr. Garba Tetengi who made this order while presiding on behalf of the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) noted that the matter had suffered over five adjournments on the instance of the Police.
In view of the foregoing, he ruled that the Police should “show cause” why they have not obeyed the extant order of the panel on the 7th of March, 2022.
Earlier, a team of counsel to the panel led by Chino Obiagwu reminded the panel that there was also an order for the production of properties carted away from the victim’s house and that till date none of those orders was obeyed.
Counsel to the Police, Kenneth Egbuchua had pleaded with the panel for more time to enable the Police comply with the said orders.
The retired Supreme Court jurist, Justice Galadima had in December last year pronounced that, “The Deputy Commissioner of Police Legal owes the nation an explanation in this matter.”
Consequently, Obiagwu had informed that he together with the Police lawyer, Egbochua and the panel’s Secretary, Mr Hilary Ogbonna, called DCP Legal but he did not respond to the call.
Following the development, they then called ACP Asuquo, who was a Member of the legal team that investigated the matter, yet no fruitful result was achieved.
The victim, John Emeka Alozie was allegedly arrested and detained by the Police since 2017 and his family is seeking to unravel his whereabouts before the panel.
The respondents in the petition are Mr Obiazo SARS Awkuzu, Anambra State, Mr Uzo Emeana SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State and Sunday Okpe, Commissioner of Police Anambra state and the Inspector General of Police.
In the same vein, the panel adjourned three other petitions till 7th of March, 2022 following the absence of the respondents.
The adjourned petitions are death in custody, arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful use of firearm resulting in extra-judicial killing, abuse of office brought by Chief Peter Ikechi, Peter Ekwealor (deceased), Mr Ekene Okona and Members of the Odekpe Community in Anambra state against CSP Danjuma Ochejeh Delta state Police Command, Personnel of IGP-IRT FHQ Abuja and three others.
Enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention and denial of access to justice brought by Lukman Salihu against SP Christopher of defunct SARS FCT, Commissioner of Police FCT and the Inspector General of Police.
Alleged extra-judicial killing of Patrick Oche filed by Mercy Patrick against IPO defunct SARS FCT, OC defunct SARS FCT, Commissioner of Police FCT, and Inspector General of Police.
Independent Investigation Panel on SARS Gives Police 6-Day Ultimatum Over Mussing Person
The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct SARS and other units of the Nigerian Police Force on Tuesday gave the police a six-day ultimatum to explain why they refused to obey the order to produce a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP).
The panel had ordered the Nigeria Police Force to produce before it the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) legal in the Force Headquarters over the case of alleged arbitrary arrest and detention of John Emeka Alozie, a directive which was yet to be obeyed at Tuesday’s sitting of the IIP-SARS.
The Police are also requested to produce Inspectors Obiazo, Sunday Okpe and Uzo Emeana of defunct SARS Awkuzu, Anambra state and police case file on the matter to aid the panel to establish the whereabouts of the victim on the 7th of March, 2022 being the next adjourned date for the matter.
A member of the panel, Dr. Garba Tetengi who made this order while presiding on behalf of the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) noted that the matter had suffered over five adjournments on the instance of the Police.
In view of the foregoing, he ruled that the Police should “show cause” why they have not obeyed the extant order of the panel on the 7th of March, 2022.
Earlier, a team of counsel to the panel led by Chino Obiagwu reminded the panel that there was also an order for the production of properties carted away from the victim’s house and that till date none of those orders was obeyed.
Counsel to the Police, Kenneth Egbuchua had pleaded with the panel for more time to enable the Police comply with the said orders.
The retired Supreme Court jurist, Justice Galadima had in December last year pronounced that, “The Deputy Commissioner of Police Legal owes the nation an explanation in this matter.”
Consequently, Obiagwu had informed that he together with the Police lawyer, Egbochua and the panel’s Secretary, Mr Hilary Ogbonna, called DCP Legal but he did not respond to the call.
Following the development, they then called ACP Asuquo, who was a Member of the legal team that investigated the matter, yet no fruitful result was achieved.
The victim, John Emeka Alozie was allegedly arrested and detained by the Police since 2017 and his family is seeking to unravel his whereabouts before the panel.
The respondents in the petition are Mr Obiazo SARS Awkuzu, Anambra State, Mr Uzo Emeana SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State and Sunday Okpe, Commissioner of Police Anambra state and the Inspector General of Police.
In the same vein, the panel adjourned three other petitions till 7th of March, 2022 following the absence of the respondents.
The adjourned petitions are death in custody, arbitrary arrest and detention, unlawful use of firearm resulting in extra-judicial killing, abuse of office brought by Chief Peter Ikechi, Peter Ekwealor (deceased), Mr Ekene Okona and Members of the Odekpe Community in Anambra state against CSP Danjuma Ochejeh Delta state Police Command, Personnel of IGP-IRT FHQ Abuja and three others.
Enforced disappearance, arbitrary arrest, unlawful detention and denial of access to justice brought by Lukman Salihu against SP Christopher of defunct SARS FCT, Commissioner of Police FCT and the Inspector General of Police.
Alleged extra-judicial killing of Patrick Oche filed by Mercy Patrick against IPO defunct SARS FCT, OC defunct SARS FCT, Commissioner of Police FCT, and Inspector General of Police.