There are consequences for your disobedience, NHRC panel tells police

The independent investigative panel on human rights violations by the defunct SARS and other police units set up by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on Tuesday, unambiguously told the police that there were consequences for disobeying orders it made.

A member of the panel, Dr Garba Tetengi SAN, who presided over the panel’s sitting on behalf of its chairman, Justice Sulieman Galadima (retd), gave the warning when the petition on the alleged extrajudicial killing of one Obinna Jonah by the police.

The acting chairman made the declaration following the failure of the respondents to appear before the panel as earlier directed.

According to Tetengi, the failure of the respondents to appear before the panel to state their own side of the story seemed as if the police were oblivious of the grave consequences attached to not complying with the order of the panel.

Another member of the panel, John Aikpokpo Martins, who represents the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) on the panel, warned that the panel would not hesitate to order the police to close their defence should they again fail to bring the said police witnesses before the panel at the next adjourned date.

The matter has been adjourned to March 21 for definite cross-examination.

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In another development, the panel has directed the Commissioner of Police (Legal) at the Force Headquarters, DCP Igbeh Ochogwu, to produce the case file of one John Emeka Alozie, whose wife, Mrs Nnnena Alozie, petitioned the panel, alleging arbitrary arrest, detention and enforced disappearance.

The panel noted that the CP Legal has perpetually refused to obey its orders, declaring that this does not speak well of his status.

It thus demanded an explanation from DCP Ochogwu, vowing to continue to adjourn the case on a daily basis until the case file is brought before it.

The panel had Tuesday last week adjourned the petition, marked 2020/IIP-SARS/ABJ/73, in which ASP M.Obiozor of the defunct SARS Awkuzu, Anambra; Uzi Emeana; Sunday Okpe; Anambra Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police are respondents, March 7 and again, on Monday adjourned it to today.

However, at the resumed sitting of the panel on Tuesday, the police failed to produce the case as directed, again, on Monday.

While adjourning the petition to Wednesday, March 9, Tetengi noted that the panel first ordered the production of the case file on November 16, 2021, among other orders in order to unravel the mystery behind the disappearance of John Alozie.

“The CP Legal should either come personally with the case file or send it through someone before the panel,” the acting chairman ordered.

Earlier, counsel for the respondents told the panel that it was very difficult to get to the respondents because SARS had been disbanded, adding that the legal team had established connections with the CP Legal on the case file of the victim.

Tribune Online reports that the panel had on December 2, 2021, ordered the police to produce the petitioner’s husband as well as produce the two vehicles, a Lexus and a Ford, the briefcase and documents taken away from the residence of the petitioner on June 15, 2017, when Alozie was arrested.

The panel further ordered that the police must produce before it all the officers mentioned by the petitioner in her petition and the case file of the victim.

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There are consequences for your disobedience, NHRC panel tells police