Counsel to the Police in the case of alleged Arbitrary arrest, detention and enforced disappearance, DCP James Idachaba has urged a petitioner to go to court rather than approach the Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violation by the defunct SARS and other Units of the Nigeria Police force.
Specifically he told the complainant Mrs. John Alozie to go back to the court that passed a judgment which police has violated and not to come before the panel.
Idachaba while reading his written address drew the attention of the panel to the fact that a court of competent jurisdiction sat on the matter and made a decision.
He said” it will be abuse of court process for the panel to hear the matter”.
According to Idachaba when there is a failure to obey court judgements there is a system to follow to ensure such judgments are complied with, adding that the said matter should not be in the hands of the panel.
“Hence it has already been taken care of by the court. It will be tantamount to reviewing the decision of the court” he added.
He said the panel should refer the complainant back to the court to do the needful for the orders of the court that was not obeyed.
In a previous hearing on the same matter the panel had ordered the case file relating to the matter be produced by the CP legal Mr. Ogbeh Ochogwu either in person or through his officers.
Responding on the issue at hand Idachaba again stated before the panel that at no time did the CP legal own up to being in possession of the case file.
“He cannot bring the file, he is not in custody of”.
Narrating further Idachaba said the CP legal was misunderstood, saying at no time did he ever promised to bring the file to the panel, stating that he called for the file from Akwuzu Anambra state which was never brought.
It would be recall that Mrs. Nnenna Alozie, a petitioner in the matter has testified before the panel that her husband was arrested by SARS operatives in their home in Lekki, Lagos state and he was taken to Akwuzu in Anambra state on June 15 2017.
She added that all attempts to see him or know his whereabouts has been unfruitful.
She said the police unlawfully detained her husband for a long time without prosecution before a court of competent jurisdiction.
Mrs .Alozie in her petition before the panel said two vehicle and some documents were carted away from the victim’s house at the time of his arrest.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Alozie told the panel that the police refused to obey 3 consecutive court orders since the arrest of her husband in 2017.
The orders made by the courts is to produce Mr. Alozie either dead or alive.
The matter has since been adjourn for report.
