Maduako Igbokwe l Friday, November 13, 2020
ONITSHA, Nigeria – The Anambra State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Extra-Judicial Killings and other Related Matters has granted one of the petitioners at the ongoing sitting, Chief Bonaventure Mokwe two weeks to present graphic information on how former of the state Peter Obi was influenced to demolished his Upper Class hotel in Onitsha and how Nigerians were maimed and killed at Awkuzu SARS with impunity.
The chairman of the panel, Justice Veronica Umeh said that it may invite Ex governor Peter Obi,the police or anyone indicted by petitioners to appear before the panel and also give testimony.
Chief Bonaventure Mokwe, owner of Upper Class Hotel in Onitsha which was demolished in 2003 by the Anambra State government, was allegedly arrested and tortured by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, for alleged involvement in kidnapping activities.
He had filled a five-page petition to the panel and also demanding for public apology from the state government for being branded a kidnaper and his hotel demolished, while he was kept in SARS custody for three months without any charge.
Mokwe while testifying before the panel said he stayed for three months in SARS custody and later became an insider, and also witnessed most of the gruesome killings perpetuated by the police unit, and was ready to open up on their operations.
“Since we are talking about SARS and all their atrocities, I think this panel can give me the opportunity to say most of the things I saw, which happened at SARS, just to help us unravel the level of destruction they were into.
“I stayed there long enough to know the workings of SARS and also where they derived their powers to act the way they did, especially SARS under James Nwafor, he said.
Chairman of the panel while addressing Mokwe stated that the panel had terms of reference, and that asking the state to apologize to victim was not part of it. She however asked the petitioner to file additional petition covering other testimonies he intends to give about SARS operations, while assuring that anyone who was indicted in a petition would be invited.
“We cannot entertain testimonies that are outside what you filed in your petition. If you want to file an addendum, we will give you time. Be rest assured that all the people you are mentioning would be duly invited by this panel,” Justice Umeh said.
Mokwe who later spoke to journalists related the incident that led to the demolition of his hotel said, “The whole thing was a set up. Somebody lodged in room 102 of my hotel and in the morning, SARS came and found human skull in the room. I bet you that SARS didn’t come to check who the man was or how the skulls got there, they just came to uncover the planted exhibit and destroy the hotel because they did not ask for the name of the lodger who brought in the skull.
We had already submitted the manifest of the Lodgers to police before 6.30 am which is the normal practice.
“I know it was a set up. Then governor, Peter Obi had ceded Ose motor park to Onitsha people, giving Onitsha people the right to collect levies there. Mokwe Park, his park is beside Ose park. So when transporters who use Ose park felt the fee they were paying to Onitsha people were much, they came to my park to do their business. Onitsha people were not happy with me. Onitsha youths attacked my park just two weeks before the skulls were planted in my hotel.
“On the same day, without any form of investigation, my hotel, which was built in 1973 was demolished. I have evidence that the bulldozer that was used to demolish my hotel was paid for, two days before the incident and demolition. So, how did they know skulls were going to be found in my hotel if they were not planted?
“James Nwafor ,former SARS boss did not just come from Ebonyi State and start killing people, they were people who gave him the latitude under which he operated, and we are ready to reveal them. Peter Obi gave him the latitude to shot at sight.
Nwafor was acting the script of Peter Obi who gave order to shoot at sight. The first day I came into SARS camp 17 people were called out at midnight and shot,this include a 20 years second year engineering student whom the uncles framed up as a kidnapping” he said
But reacting on behalf of Obi, the former Anambra Commissioner for information, Barr. Joe Martins said the point to note is that the former SARS boss, Nwafor was a very junior officer when Obi was governor, and could not have had any form of relationship with him (Obi).
He said Nwafor did whatever he did as a police officer posted to Anambra State and that Obi did not hire him as an aide nor even know him personally. “The allegation that SARS derived its powers from governors is complete betrayal of one with a mission. It confirms the information that some people have been heavily suborned to use the platform (panel) to play the game of vendetta.
“We knew when they were invited to Abuja and we have information of what transpired. Who in Nigeria does not know that the clamour for a state police is because governors have absolutely no control over the police as presently constituted? It is all attempts to smear Obi. It has always failed and that the present “last dance” will equally come to naught.”
