By Tayo Alabi
A member of the Independent Investigative Panel on Defunct SARS and other Units of the Nigerian Police Force, Garba Tetengi SAN, has decried the repeated failure of respondents (mostly police officers) to appear before the panel as requested.
He warned that the panel may invoke its power to arrest and compel appearances before it.
Tetengi, who stood in for the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima Rtd, described as “worrying”, failure on the part of the police to execute directives of the panel with regards to appearances in answering allegations leveled against them.
The representative of the Chairman advised all officers involved to take the panel seriously, reminding them that the panel has a time limit.
He added that the police have a responsibility to appear before it, saying otherwise, the panel will make its own findings and draw conclusions accordingly.
Responding, the liaison officer between the Nigeria Police and the IIP-SARS, ASP Asaph Aristole informed the panel that signals are dutifully sent to concerned police commands to ensure that alleged violators serving in those commands appear before the panel to respond to allegations of rights violations.
He (Asaph) however stated that failure of respondents to appear before the panel was borne out of their personal decision and not inefficiency on the part of the liaison officer, he therefore gave his nod to the decision by the panel to proceed with compelling the arrest of any officer/respondent found wanting in that area.
“This is the second time Mr. Raymond Eku (aka death) and IPO Sylvester, both of defunct SARS will fail to appear before the panel to answer to allegations of unlawful arrest, detention, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment of Mr. Richard Augustine”.
In his ruling, the Chairman of the panel adjourned the matter to April 14th 2021 for the last time in order to compel the appearance of the respondents, adding that the panel will be left with no choice than to order their arrest if they fail to appear before it.
