Maduako Igbokwe l Thursday, November 05, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – One of petitioners at the Judicial Panel of Inquiry (JPI) looking into activities SARS in the state ,sitting in Awka Anambra state, Mrs Chidimma Edozieuno has called on the Nigeria Police to release the corpse of her husband late Johnson Edozieuno who died in their custody to her for burial.
Edozieuno,in her petition to panel, said her husband who lived in Benin Republic visited Nigeria after she gave birth in 2017 and was arrested in the early hours of August 1, 2017 by policemen in mufti at the Ichida Street residence in Awka and he never came back.
She said her properties were carted away to an unknown destination as the police operatives did not disclose their base or where they were taking his late husband to. She said that the only thing they told her was that her husband was a kidnapper and that she would not see him again.
The widow said that after search in the Police stations around Awka without success, information got to her that her husband was being tortured and detained at the disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), Awkuzu where he died in the process.
According to her, a legal process was commenced at the State High Court, Awka to secure his release and in the process, the legal department of SARS informed the court that her husband died in police custody.
According to her, that was how the matter was dismissed by the court. She pleaded with the committee to prevail on the police to release the corpse of her husband, return her property and pay reasonable compensation to her and the family of a man they killed while in SARS’ custody.
According to her, the compensation would help to take care of those he left behind. The Chairman of the panel Hon. Justice Veronica Umeh said the panel would investigate the claims in petition and come up with recommendations.
A total of 33 petitions were recorded but only five we’re entertained in Thursday.