An emotion filled petitioner, Mrs Arinze Ngozi Anthonia, today stated clearly that despite seeking the sum of five hundred million naira compensation over the enforced disappearance of her brother, she will however prefer to have her brother alive.
In the case of alleged unlawful arrest, detention and enforced disappearance of Ebuka Aniebu, Mrs Arinze (Sister to the victim) informed the panel that sometime in 2019, her brother was arrested by the police and detained at SARS office Abbattoir in Abuja.
Narrating further, Mrs. Aniebu told the panel that, she visited and saw her late brother upon receiving a call from him that he was detained at SARS office in Abuja.
“While at SARS office, inspector Paul Odey requested from me, the sum of one million Naira in order to release my brother”, the petitioner stated.
According to Mrs Anozie, she returned home in Kaduna to source for the money, and that all the calls she made to inspector Paul while still in Kaduna returned unanswered.
Continuing, the petitioner informed the panel that when she returned in 2021, Inspector Odey told her she had come late as her brother had been transferred to another detention center.
The petitioner stated that, Odey however refused to tell her where her brother had been transferred to, rather he requested money from her in order to search for information regarding the victim’s where about.
In her words “I had the money but insisted on giving him in the presence of a lawyer”.
A distraught Mrs Anozie told the panel that all efforts thereafter to know her brother’s whereabouts have proved abortive as she has searched almost everywhere without success.
One of the panelists, John Aikpokpo Martins representing the Nigerian Bar Association told counsel to the respondents that since there was sufficient information available, regarding the key respondent ( Paul Odey), swift efforts should be made in ensuring his appearance before the panel at the next hearing.
Similarly, counsel to the petitioner, Remmy Ifeanyi Agu Esq appealed to the panel to ensure that Inspector Paul Odey produces before the panel, the case file on the subject matter.
In his ruling, Dr Garba Tetengi SAN who represented the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima rtd, adjourned the matter to March 8th 2022.
He ordered the appearance of Inspector Paul Odey before the panel not only to defend himself but to answer pertinent questions regarding the matter.
