Petitioner’s counsel, Ifeanyi Agu on Thursday alleged before the Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations by the Defunct SARS and other units of the Nigeria Police Force how police were allegedly bribed to extra-judicially kill a victim, Ebuka Aniegu.
The victim was said to have been arrested and detained in 2019 over allegations of armed robbery and rape.
According to the counsel, this informed Nnenna Aniegu to forward a petition before the panel, where he alleged unlawful arrest, detention and enforced disappearance of Ebuka Aniegu, whom the counsel now asserted was killed extra-judicially by the Police.
He told the panel that a nominal complainant paid IGP IRT to kill the suspect, Ebuka.
The complainant’s counsel, Agu while cross-examining SP Chinedu Okonkwo whose presence was ordered by the panel, said that the Police witness, SP Okonkwo knows what happened to Ebuka Aniegu having led the IGP Intelligence Response Team that investigated the matter for one month, before allegedly handing over the case file and the suspect to DSP John Onyema, now deceased.
Agu also stated that the signals brought before the panel to prove the death of DSP John Onyema whom SP Okonkwo reportedly handed over the matter was not sufficient to prove the death of DSP Onyema, “since such signals are not synonymous with death certificate”.
The signals referred to by SP Okonkwo include a letter written by the IRT to the Inspector General of Police informing him about the death of DSP Onyema and the IGP’s letter responding to acknowledge the demise of the Police Officer in active service.
Continuing, Agu told the panel that the said signals within the hierarchy of the Police Force on the death of DSP Onyema were concocted to put up a “feeble” defense in this petition.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, one month was enough to investigate the case of armed robbery and rape against Ebuka; and charge him to court or obtain a warrant order from the court to detain him that long pending investigations in accordance with the law.
It would be recall that ASP Paul Odey a member of Okonwo’s IGP Intelligence Response team had in his submission before the panel said sometime in May 2019 there was an arrest made at the Trade-More Police station Lugbe, Abuja bothering on armed robbery and rape, which was subsequently reported to IRT.
Odey told the panel that investigation into the matter commenced by a team of the IRT led by SP Chinedu Okonkwo, which had other members as Paul Odey and two others.
The ASP added that investigations into the matter led to the recovery of a phone, even as he confirmed a visit to the scene of the incident, and came up with a lead resulting in the arrest of one Otu.
He said that after interrogation Otu confessed to the crime and mentioned Ebuka and others as his accomplices.
Continuing, the witness told the panel that Abba Kyari the Head of the IGP IRT directed DSP John Onyema (now late) to take over the matter, adding that both the case file and suspect were handed over as directed.
While cross examining the witness, counsel to the complainant Mr. Ifeanyi Agu accused the witness, saying his narrative of handing over to DSP John Onyema (deceased) was a ploy to put up a defense.
The panel has adjourned the petition for report.
