By Tayo Alabi
The Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police on Monday in Abuja heard the case of a petitioner, who bemoaned how the police dehumanized him by spitting on him and subsequently shot him close to his genitals.
Testifying before Dr. Garba Tetengi SAN, who acted on behalf of the Chairman, Joseph Martins said that on the 19th October 2019, he was at a viewing center when he observed that Sgt Oludare Ariyo, who was in police uniform and armed with AK47 was having an argument with the sales attendant over a bill presented to him which he did not want to pay for.
Continuing, Martins, who stood before the panel in crutches, said that he tried to intervene, but the angered Sgt Oludare Ariyo of Special Protection Unit Base 7 Command, FCT, proceeded to slap and kicked him to the ground while spitting on him for attempting to wade into the altercation.
According to Martins, Sgt Oludare not satisfied with the beating threatened to shoot him, saying he will not mind losing his uniform. “Immediately, he corked his gun and went ahead to shoot me on my thighs close to my genitals. The bullet broke and shattered the bone of my thigh” he said.
Martins stated that concerned people around eventually overpowered Sgt Ariyo and disarmed him, after which they called the Divisional Police Officer in Utako, who came and took him with his rifle away and he (Martins) was subsequently rushed to the hospital.
In an emotional-laden voice, Martins recounted how he was rushed to the Accident & Emergency Ward of Wuse General Hospital where he was reportedly dumped by some policemen, stressing that no one attended to him because he could not pay the treatment deposit.
“I was subsequently taken to National Hospital where I could probably get treatment but the hospital was said to be on strike. I was then moved to Cidecrest Orthopedic Hospital in Garki where they also demanded a deposit for the surgery, in order to extract the bullet from my thighs.
“My inability to pay for the treatment at Cidecrest resulted in been finally moved to Nigerian Air force hospital where I eventually got treatment after 23 days of being shot”, he alleged.
Displaying a film of x-ray of his thigh, the petitioner lamented that he needs N800, 000 to fix his thigh, explaining that his bones were shattered, at this point he broke down in tears and told the panel how unbearable life has become, “I can no longer fend for himself and my family”.
In response, the Counsel to police, James Idachaba informed the panel that the case has already been decided at the FCT High Court and judgment has already been served.
Meanwhile, counsel to the petitioner, Tolu Babaleye decried the judgment given to the erring Sgt Ariyo, he disclosed to the panel that though the Sergent was dismissed, he was arraigned at Magistrate court for assault instead of attempted murder and was sentenced to 1-year imprisonment. He rejected the judgment saying this is “injustice”.
At the Federal High Court, a case of fundamental rights enforcement action was filed and the judgment was delivered in the sum of N50,000,000.
The panel in its ruling adjourned indefinitely.
