A witness at the independent panel investigating allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigeria police Kate Okwor, on Wednesday, narrated how her brother, Jude Onunze, went missing at Kuje Police Station in Abuja.
Okwor told the panel that on January 1st, 2009, Jude called her on the phone complaining that he was arrested and taken to the police station.
On getting to Kuje Police Station, she was informed that one John, his brother’s friend, brought a complaint of insult against him, which led to his arrest and detention.
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Okwor stated that when she eventually met the officers at the police station, she was told to come back the following day.
On January 2nd, 2009, Okwor said she went back to the police station with food for her brother and the police officers delivered it after she had tasted it as requested of her.
However, she noted that on 4th January, 2009, she, her husband and chairman of Igbo community in Kuje, Akpata Justice, went to the police station but were told by Peter Ageh, investigating police officer (IPO) for the case, that her brother had been taken home in a police patrol vehicle.
OKwor further explained that after the police’s statement, they all went back to his brother’s house but discovered that the door was locked and that there was no sign of his return.
According to the witness, she and some members of her family went back to the police station to inform them that his brother was not at home.She said that nothing came out of the visit till date.
During cross-examination by counsel to the Nigerian police James Idachaba, the police pointed out that the matter for which the witness was before the panel had earlier been brought before a court and that a decision was reached.
Also, Idachaba informed the panel that an appeal was pending before the Court of Appeal over the same matter.
Counsel to the complainant Chukwudi Igwe told the panel that Jude Onunze was presumably dead and that he was not aware that the same matter was pending before the Court of Appeal.
The panel, therefore, adjourned the matter sine die to enable the parties to ascertain the status of the matter at the FCT High Court and Court of Appeal and report back.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94