A young boy, Abubakar Sadiq Ibrahim on Friday narrated before the Independent Investigative Panel on SARS and other units of the Nigeria Police Force how Police chased him up to a distance of 300 miles and eventually shot him on his right arm.
Sadiq narrated his horrifying ordeal in the hands of two men whom he later discovered were SARS operatives.
The complainant noted that it took some time for him to realize that the policemen visited his father’s compound in search of kidnapping suspects, which he said he knew nothing about.
According to Sadiq ‘”on May 19th 2020, about 1pm, while waiting to observe the afternoon prayers with my family members, I heard gunshots in our compound. I saw a man in mufti who pointed a gun towards my father’s window, this made me apprehensive and I ran to the Boys Quarters to check if the rest of my siblings were safe. On discovering that they were not there, I started running out of the compound”.
Amidst shouts of thief! thief! by the police, the petitioner said the police chased him up to a distance of about 300 miles until he sought refuge in the house of a serving Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, who he said is not only a neighbor but also confirmed knowing Sadiq personally and equally attested to his (Sadiq’s) good behaviour before the SARS operatives.
This did not stop the police, as Sadiq told the panel that he was arrested along with seven (7) of his family members and taken to Guzape Police station, where they were kept for 7 hours before their release.
Upon his release from detention, Sadiq said “I was admitted at the National hospital Abuja for two weeks where I underwent an orthopedic treatment and plastic surgery on my right arm”.
The petitioner told the panel that he has lost academic years as a result of the incident.
In their response, a member of the police legal team, Malik Taiwo informed the panel that the matter for which the complainant came to the panel was already at the FCT High court before Justice Peter Afeh.
In view of the foregoing, Justice Galadima (rtd) directed counsel to the petitioner to confirm whether the matter is pending before the FCT high court as submitted by police counsel.
The case was adjourned to 13th April 2021 for cross examination and continuation of hearing.
