#EndSARS: Family demands N1bn compensation, prosecution of officers over son’s murder

The Family of Chief Nelson Diamond Yellowe, in Rivers State, is seeking compensation of N1 billion from the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for the alleged murder of their son, Solomon Yellowe, 27-year old final year student of the University of Port Harcourt,

The family which claimed that the said murder happened in March 2019 also demanded that prosecution of former Commander of the disbanded police unit in Rivers State, Akin Fakorede, and four other operatives of the unit.

Elder sister of the deceased, Mrs Annah West, told the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Police brutality sitting in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, that their son went missing on March 13, 2019, only for his corpse to be found University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) mortuary on April 26, 2019.

West said: “Basically, my brother was last seen on March 13, 2019, and he was reported missing by his colleagues in school. We began to search for him; we went to several Police stations and I personally went to SARS twice. My brother and other people also went there to look for him. We were told that he was never in their custody.

“Now, on April 26, 2019, we found his body in UPTH Mortuary. He was deposited there by men of SARS, Rukpokwu, by an officer named Samuel Sunday. We got this information from his fellow detainee; someone who was once detained by SARS. That is the person that told us the fate of our son and brother.

“So, we are here to tell the whole world what happened to this young man. My brother was a final year student of the University of Port Harcourt and of the Faculty of Humanities. He was studying Christian and Religious Studies.

“We do not have details of the conclusive investigation report. It was not availed to the family and that was part of what we told the panel today.

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“We are demanding justice. The person who deposited my brother’s body in the mortuary, his name is Samuel Sunday. As part of the investigation, we found out that he was in the company of one Mike, the team leader. There was another Friday Ikuku and there was Officer Wilson. Akin Fakorede was then the OC of SARS.

“We are demanding that these men be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and damages be paid to the family. The panel is a good place to ascertain what was done to the family.”

She accused operatives of the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID) of collecting the sum of N300,000 to conduct an autopsy on Solomon’s corpse and other money for logistics to enable them to carry out an investigation, saying that a copy of the investigation report was never made available to the family.

Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry, Hon. Justice Chukwunenye Uriri (Rtd) later adjourned the matter to Tuesday, December 1, 2020, for cross-examination of the witnesses and continuation of hearing.

The Panel dismissed two petitions, including that of the family of the late musician, Daniel Chibuike, popularly known as Sleek, as the matters were still pending before the courts while two others abandoned their petitions.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE