By Saminu Ibrahim
Miss Chinenye Igwetu, an elder sister to a deceased youth corper, Linda Igwetu on Thursday testified before the 11-member Independent Investigative Panel (IIP) on allegations of human rights violations against the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Police force how an inspector of police Benjamin Peters allegedly killed her sister.
The panel headed by retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Suleiman Galadima was told that the event took place on the 3rd of July 2018.
Specifically, the petitioner alleged that her younger sister was gunned down by Inspector Benjamin Peters of FCT Police Command Area 11, Abuja.
She narrated that on 3rd of July 2018, the deceased went out after work to celebrate her passing out from National Youth Service which was scheduled for the next day, 4th July 2018.
Led by Counsel to the National Human Rights Commission, Afolabi Olawole, who stood in for Chino Obiagwu (SAN), the petitioner said “prior to her death, she was living with me while working at Outsource Global Company, Mabushi Abuja and she worked between 1pm and 11pm everyday”.
Igwetu, who was emotional while narrating the ordeals of her late sister following the alleged gun shot, informed the panel that the deceased sent a whatsapp message informing her that she was going out with some friends to have drinks and celebrate her passing out from the NYSC programme which was then slated for 4th July 2018.
“At about 4.35 am, I got a distress call from an unknown number and it was Mr. Bamidele Tobi asking me to come quickly to Garki Hospital, that something happened on coming home from Ceddi plaza, I got to the hospital and was informed that my sister was shot by Inspector Benjamin Peters” she said.
She informed the panel that Mr. Tobi narrated that on their way home, driving, he heard a loud sound and thought it was tyre burst and the next thing, the victim tapped him from the seat that something hit her below her breast, saying they found my late sister panting in a pool of her blood and it was then they realised it was a gunshot.
According to the complainant, Mr. Tobi who was in the same car with her deceased sister told her that while they were heading to Garki Hospital for a medical attention, another squad of the Police accosted and trailed them to the hospital where her sister passed on about 6am, the very day she was supposed to pass out from the NYSC programme.
In another development, which was about arbitrary arrest, degrading treatment, seizure of property belonging to a complainant, Bala Mohammed, the NHRC Counsel, Olawole informed the panel that parties are not present, even though he briefed the panel on the particulars of the case.
Meanwhile, following the absence of some parties in the two cases called up during Thursday sitting, the Chairman of the panel emphasised the need for fair hearing as a prerequisite for effective hearing in the dispensation of justice at the ongoing investigative hearing.
According to the Chairman, respondents must be properly served and hearing notices conveyed appropriately to avail all parties the opportunities to state their positions appropriately.
The panel adjourned to 16th November, 2020 and ordered fresh hearing notices to all the parties to enable them to appear on the adjournment date.
Secretary of the panel, Mr. Hillary Ogbonna Thursday pleaded with the complainants and other members of the public to bear with the panel over the delay in hearing the cases already slated for 4th November and 5th November, 2020.
Ogbonna revealed that after sitting on Friday, 6th November, 2020, the panel will suspend sitting for one week, adding that within the period, it would have sorted out some institutional challenges with the Police and other parties.
