The Independent Investigative Panel on alleged human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad has accused the Head of the Nigeria Police Force Legal Department, a Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ogbeh Ochogwu of deliberately frustrating its work for his refusal to obey summons.
A member of the panel and representative of the Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. John Aikpokpo-Martins expressed this frustration at the panel sitting in Abuja while reacting to the case of alleged arbitrary arrest, detention and enforced disappearance of one Mr. John Alozie.
Mr. Aikpokpo-Martins said despite the fact that there was evidence indicating that an order summoning Mr. Ochogwu had been served to him since December last year, he was yet to comply almost three months after .
He said the Head of the Nigeria Police Force Legal Department was duty bound to present to the panel the case file and the victim, Mr. John Alozie.
He said the force should come clean on the matter and be ready to guide the panel on the whereabouts of Mr. Alozie and whether or not his case file was lost since evidences before it showed that the victim was arrested and detained by the police.
The Acting Chairman of the panel, Mr. Garba Tetengi who adjourned the matter until the 9th of this month said the order summoning Mr. Ogbeh Ochogwu still subsist.
The family of Mr. Alozie had petitioned the panel that five policemen from the defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad, SARS office, Awkuzu, Anambra State invaded their son’s house in Lagos on the 15th of June, 2017 and went away with him, his two cars, monies and personal documents in his briefcase.
The family said since then, the policemen, Mr. Anthony Obiozor, Uzo Emeana, Sunday Okpe and two others have refused to disclose Mr. Alozie’s whereabouts despite petitions to the Inspector General of Police and court orders.
Since the matter at the commencement of the panel sitting in 2020, none of the officers appeared before it despite several summons.
BOSE IJELEKHAI