Families Besiege Rivers Panel To Demand Corpses Of Victims Of SARS

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Rivers State Government began sitting at the Obi Wali International Conference Centre on November 24. Since the kick-off of proceedings, the panel had received scores of petitions from aggrieved families mourning the death of their sons.

THE WHISTLER has followed proceedings in Port Harcourt and noticed that many families appeared to have lost someone killed by officers of the disbanded Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS), and are demanding release of their corpses and compensation for their loss.

You cannot help shedding tears at the sitting of the panel when families of victims recount their ordeal in the hands of the police. The brutality and inhuman treatment meted to residents is extra-ordinarily sadistic.

We serve you some of the revelations last week.

Dawaye Bob-Walcot: They Killed My Son Because We Couldn’t Pay His ‘Bail’ On Time

 A fisherman from Abonnema  reached out to the  Panel in respect of his son, Jerry Dawaye, who was a photographer allegedly arrested by operatives of SARS on 30th of September, 2016 and taken to Borokiri Police Station.

According to Mr. Dawaye: “On the 30th of September 2016, after taking my dinner at Abonnema, my home, I was about to sleep on my bed, then a phone call came by 7:15pm. When I looked at the phone critically I saw it was my son Jerry on the phone wanting to speak to me.

“My son told me after completing his assignment for that day, because he was a photographer, he was going home when he saw people scampering for safety.

“SARS, the most dreaded psychopaths of modern Nigeria were arresting people indiscriminately, he told me he was among the people arrested that day and taken to the police station at Borokiri.

“He told me they were asking him for N100k ransom for his release for no just cause. After I made frantic efforts to see my son when I tried raising the money demanded, they rather shouted at me to leave the station premises.

“I recall asking the man at the counter to help me check if my son Jerry was there, he shouted at me saying ‘my friend will you get away from here’. I told him, how can you tell me to get out of here as I have come to ask for my son?”

Chief Dawaye however said that an officer who identified himself as a Jehovah’s Witness confided in him that all the boys arrested during the raid were killed.

“One SARS officer confided in me and told me he was a witness and that all those boys that were arrested that night have been killed by SARS.And though he belonged to SARS, he didn’t like what some of his colleagues were doing.

“The officer said they took them outside to an unknown destination, murdered them and were given mass burial. The shock made me slump and fell on a hard object that resulted to my difficulty in walking today because I now have partial stroke.” he narrated.

Chief Dawaye is appealing to the commission to find out from the police where his son is and if he is dead, his corpse be handed over to him for proper burial.

Obinna Anams:  Our Father Died Waiting To See His Son Killed By Police

Obinna Anams appeared before the Commission of Inquiry seeking justice and compensation for his late brother, Chibuike Anams , who was arrested by the officers of the Elimgbu Police Station in 2009.

Obinna said for a long time his family was led to believe that his brother was missing and that his father passed on out of grief when the family gave up the search months after, before confirmation that the Police had long killed the undergraduate.

He testified before the Panel that trouble started after rumours that there was a raid around the area where they lived.

Obinna said: “My brother Chibuike Anams who was 23 at the time and a student of Akwa Ibom State University, was arrested and killed by the police on the 24th of July 2009.

“At first we thought he was missing, we reported the case to Umuebele police station but we still couldn’t find him.

“It was then rumoured that there was a raid by officers of the Elimgbu Police Station. When we went there, we saw two of his friends who told us he was taken away in another van.

“We went to the Command Headquarters but were advised there to check mortuaries that it could be that he has been killed and they won’t admit it.

According to Obinna, who broke down in tears, the body of Chibuike Anams was found at the BMH Mortuary after many frantic attempts at searching for him.

He lamented that the police offered no explanation on why or how his brother was killed.

“Till date no one has told us why he was arrested and killed. We want justice to prevail and compensation paid,” he appealed.

He appealed to the commission to help his grieving family get justice for the late Chibuike Anams.

Mrs Florence Ikoku:  I have Not Seen My Only Son Since 2017,They Killed Him

Mrs. Florence Ikoku, a trader who hails from Okrika in Port Harcourt Local Government Area of Rivers State also cried to the Panel. Mrs. Florence narrated her ordeal to the Panel, stating how they killed her only Son late Justin Ikoku at slaughter axis on his way back from watching a football match.

Lady Florence told THE WHISTLER, “My son was killed on 12th July, 2017, at Oginigba around slaughter axis on his way back from watching a match.

“He was walking back in company of his friends and neighbors when they started hearing gunshots. They all tried running for their lives when he was shot and taken away by the men of the SARS.

“We did everything possible to see that his corpse was released back to us but they denied knowing anything about it.

“The boys who were with my son saw them clearly and narrated all what happened that evening.

Mrs. Florence is seeking for justice, release of his corpse and compensation for her late son.

Judicial Panel Promises Justice

The Justice Chukwueneye Uriri led Judicial Commission of Inquiry has promised all stakeholders and petitioners that it would treat all petitions and act quickly to ensure all aggrieved families get justice and appropriate compensation.