#EndSARS: Petitioner’s Counsel Insists Victim Was Killed By Police

#EndSARS: Petitioner’s Counsel Insists Victim Was Killed By Police—Mr Ifeanyi Agu, counsel to a petitioner in alleged enforced disappearance on Thursday, insisted that Ebuka Aniegu was killed by SP Chinedu Okonkwo.

Nnenna, wife of the victim, in a petition alleged unlawful arrest, detention and enforced disappearance of Aniegu in May 2019 in a petition marked 2020/IIP-SARS/ABJ/202.

Respondents in the matter are DSP Paul Odey, Officer Commanding (OC) IRT, Tactical Squad, Abuja, OC Defunct SARS, Abuja, Commissioner FCT and the Inspector-General of Police.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) panel is investigating alleged human rights abuses by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other police units.

The complainant’s counsel, Agu while cross-examining Okonkwo whose presence was ordered by the panel, said that he knows what happened to Aniegu.

He said Okonkwoled 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 referred to by Okonkwo included a letter written by the IRT to the Inspector-General of Police informing him about the death of Onyema.

It also included the IGP’s letter responding to acknowledge the demise of the Police Officer in active service.

Agu told the panel further, that the said signals within the hierarchy of the Police Force on the death of Onyema were concocted to put up a “feeble” defence in the 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.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASP Paul Odey a member of Okonkwo’s IGP Intelligence Response team had in his testimony before the panel mentioned the witness ( Okonkwo).

He said sometime in May 2019 there was an arrest made at the Trade-More Police station Lugbe, Abuja on armed robbery and rape, which was subsequently reported to the IRT.

Odey told the panel that investigation into the matter by a team of the IRT was led by Okonkwo, Odey and two others.

The ASP told the panel that investigations into the matter led to the recovery of a phone even as he confirmed visiting the scene of the incident .

He said he made some analysis and came up with a lead , resulting in the arrest of Tochukwu 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 suspended DCP Abba Kyari the Head of the IGP IRT directed DSP John Onyema (now late) to take over the matter.

He added that the case file and suspect were handed over as directed.

Mr Garba Tetengi, SAN, who represented the chairman, retired Justice Suleiman Galadima, adjourned the petition until Friday for report