The Nigerian police have said that counsel to a complainant, A.O Uwangue cannot appear before the IIP-SARS with baseless allegations against the police in a bid to spring surprises against them in a case of alleged torture and extrajudicial killing brought before the panel by one Mr. Chinedu Amadike.
Counsel to the police Mr. Malik Taiwo stated this before the Rtd Justice Sulieman Galadima panel. Malik said the complainant lawyer should not spring surprises on the police with baseless allegations as it is his duty to assist the panel in its hearings.
Meanwhile, the complainant Maxwell Amadike in his brief of Oral testimony before the panel lamented how his brother Ifunaya Amadike was arrested on the 30 of June 2018 and taken to B division in Warri Delta state.
Maxwell further stated that he went to the police station searching for his brother but no one responded to him. However, he said that someone who he could not ascertain if he was a police officer or not informed him that his brother has been taken to the general hospital mortuary.
According to the complainant on reaching the hospital, he met his brother lying dead on the floor.
He told the panel that the body was deposited at the mortuary by the DPO and since then he has written to the Inspector General of Police for the release of the corpse of his brother but there was no reply to that effect.
Meanwhile, under cross-examination, Mr. Taiwo asked the complainant the steps he has taken so far from 2018 to date to get justice for his deceased brother.
Counsel to the petitioner had pleaded with the panel to consider his petition and investigate the matter for appropriate redress.
Chairman of the panel Justice Suleiman Galadima has reiterated that the matter will be heard again, saying that the panel is a temple of Justice. The matter adjourned to the 5th of November, 2021 for the petitioner to give detailed testimony before the panel.
