By Tayo Alabi
A complainant, John Ogbu on Friday sought for compensation at 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 in Abuja.
Specifically, he prayed the panel to compensate him for the cruel and inhuman degrading treatment he suffered, injury to his right leg, saying he still works with iron within his leg and the losses he suffered when his goods were carted away.
He alleged that SARS operatives severely tortured him at their office, ‘Abattoir’, and broke his leg.
Ogbu, a dealer in new and second hand electronic and home appliances in Gwagwalada narrated to the panel that “on the 24th April 2018, at about 3pm, a man, later identified as Inspector Edwin Kendiry came to my shop with a stranger who claims that he sold stolen electronics to me”.
“Immediately the stranger pointed at me, Insp Edwin carried nine television sets from my shop without explanation and thereafter he handcuffed and took me away to Gwagwalada Police Station”.
Acccording to Ogbu, “upon interrogation at the Police Station, I told them I had never seen the stranger before that day, this infuriated Insp Edwin, to beat me”.
He added that he was detained for 2 hours; thereafter he was taken to the popular SARS office, Abattoir.
Continuing in his narration before Garba Tetengi SAN, who stood in for the Chairman, Ogbu said the next day, he was taken to the torture room where his arms were allegedly twisted to the back and chained to his legs which were bent behind from the knee, adding that he was then hanged onto the ceiling and beating continuously with dangerous weapons by other SARS operatives led by Insp Edwin.
“After the severe torture, I discovered I could not walk again and was released two weeks later, because investigation revealed that I was wrongly accused”.
He added that he was granted bail in the sum of N150, 000, and thereafter taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital Gwagwalada for medical examination.
“An x-ray was carried out, and it was confirmed that the bone in my right leg was broken. I had to undergo surgery at the Allied Hospital in Gwagwalada at the cost of N400, 000, to fix my leg” Ogbu said.
Meanwhile, the panel adjourned for further hearing to15th March, 2021 for the first respondents (Insp Edwin) to appear before it.
