Mrs. Hilda Ezeala, a petitioner before the independent investigative panel on Human Rights Violation by the defunct SARS and other units of the police, has petitioned the panel over alleged enforced disappearance and right to personal liberty of her son Eric Ezeala.
The petitioner in her testimony narrated how it all started at about 7pm on 17 0f July 2017 when Eric her son was taken by some policemen in a vehicle and asked her to come to Owerri SARS office with her Lawyer.
According to the petitioner by the time she went to the police with her Lawyer as advised, she was told he has been moved to Abuja.
Narrating further Mrs. Hilda said she received a call from her daughter in law stating that she saw Eric in Abuja, “I enquired from her if I should come over to Abuja in the light of the recent development but she declined”.
Furthermore Hilda said 2weeks later her daughter in law came to her house with bouncers and police men “and I asked her where my son was and she responded that he was hit on the eye and got injured and that I should go to Ikeja SARS and look for him”.
Meanwhile Mrs Hilda said the bouncers began loading her belongings into the vehicle they came with, and when she sought to know why they were packing her belongings; her daughter in law told her the items will be used to find her husband.
She then went to Ikeja SARS where her daughter inlaw advised her to go in search of her son. On getting there, she called her daughter in law who claimed to be busy but asked her to call one Sabastin who was also in a meeting, she ended up not seeing her son, she lamented.
The complainant stated before the panel that the family has obtained a judgment from the FCT high court sitting in Jabi for ERIC Ezeala to be produced before any court of competent jurisdiction to face trial.
According to her the judgment has been served on both the IGP and FCT Commissioner of police but till date the order has not been obeyed.
DCP James Idachaba counsel to the police while cross examining the complainant said the police didn’t deem it fit to enter any of the houses within the neighbourhood except her house; this according to him shows there is a reason for arresting her son he queried.
Idachaba under cross examination further asked the complainant if it is true that her Son Eric was paraded alongside Evans the alleged kidnapper and she answered in the affirmative.
The matter has since been adjourned to 14 April 2021.
