Police Arrested Him At Mechanic Workshop For Being A ‘Cultist,’ But He Died In Their Custody – Witnesses Tell Abuja Panel

Two eyewitnesses have explained to the Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) how the police arrested one Obinna Jonah from Mechanic Village in Abuja on allegation of belonging to a cult and allegedly tortured him to death while in their custody.

The witnesses were called to address the panel following a petition by the deceased’s brother, Okechukwu Jonah, who alleged that the police killed his brother in November.

Abbah Onoja and Joseph Akinola, the two eyewitnesses said they knew when Jonah was arrested and brought to the police station and gave details of how he was allegedly tortured to death.

Onoja, who revealed he was one of those arrested for being cultists,  said it all happened in January this year when he was arrested along with his friend, Chizoba Samuel at a friend’s house in Karmo, a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory, over alleged cultism.

He disclosed that late Obinna and several others were later arrested the same day over the same allegation. He said they were all tortured to admit that they were cultists.

According to Onoja,  late Obinna was unable to walk after the severe beating he got from the police, so he offered  him support to manage his condition before they were later taken to the FCT Police Command.

“When we got there, Obinna could not walk again. I was the one who held him, he could not also talk again when he was asked some questions due to the torture.

“The officer in charge who was asking the questions began to severely hit Obinna with his baton, saying he was not ready to talk,” he said.

He said they were later moved to the popular SARS detention centre in abattoir for further investigation where one DSP Jumbo, who seemed to be the head of the place, instructed that Obinna be “dropped.”

“He was kept in the cell and by the next morning he was dead. The inmates were asked to bring his corpse,” Onoja said, insisting Obinna was in a good state of health when he was arrested.

The second witness, Joseph Akinola, told the panel he was present at the mechanic workshop when Obinna was arrested and taken away by the police operatives.

According to him, SARS operatives came to the workshop under the pretext that they wanted to repair their vehicle and when Joseph stepped forward to undertake the job, they asked to see Obinna.

When Obinna appeared, he said the police “forcefully took him away.” But they left a telephone number in case his family wanted to find out his whereabouts.

Joseph said when the family members of Obinna called the phone line given by one of the police operatives who arrested the victim, the person who answered the call identified himself as a Federal Road Safety Corp officer!

After the testimonies, the panel requested that the Police, through the FCT Command, should provide the Officer-in-Charge of “Operation Anti-One Chance” and all personnel in the unit on February 9, 2021, to enable the panel arrive at an informed decision in the matter.

In his response, the Police Liaison Secretariat for the panel and a member of the police legal defence team, Fidelis Ogwobe, assured the panel that efforts would  be made to get the name of the Officer-in-Charge of Anti-One Chance and other members as requested by the panel.

Meanwhile, James Idachaba, leader of the police legal defence team, said they would not cross-examine the witnesses until they carry out the necessary investigations into some of the statements made by them.