Couple seeks N2m compensation over alleged SARS’ torture

Etim Ekpimah

A couple, Mr Okuchukwu and Mrs Ndubisi Obiechina on Saturday appeared before Lagos State government panel to probe allegations of abuse by policemen attached to disbanded Special Anti- Robbery Squad, SARS in 2017. 

The petitioners narrated their ordeals to the panel on restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters. 

In a laden voice, Ndubisi Obiechina told the panel that she was wrongly arrested on 2nd June 2017, detained for 22 days and verbally abused and tortured. 

According to her, one of the officers that came to the school, where she teaches ordered her out of the school, assaulted her and thereafter arrested her. 

She said: “He said I should come out of the school, immediately the officers approached me, they started beating me that I should enter the Jeep. They said I am a thief, armed robber and kidnapper.” 

The teacher added that the intervention of her husband did not save her from further dehumanising treatment and trauma as SARS officers also arrested and tortured him. 

She noted that she lost two pregnancies to the torture when she was arrested and detained for 22 days and that during October of the same year, she further narrated: “While we were preparing for church on a Sunday, Philip Rieninwa, Haruna and other SARS guys intruded into our house. “I was two months pregnant again as at that time.” 

“I called our lawyer and I also called Christian, I told him when I called him that I don’t need any emotional trauma, tell me where you are taking my husband to. 

She told the panel: “Christian replied, Oga said he wants to see him. I asked who is Oga and he said Philip and that the order is from Abba Kyari.” 

She said because of the emotional stress she encountered in the hands of the operatives she gave their names as Philip Rieninwa, Christian, Haruna Idowu, she lost her second pregnancy. 

The teacher stated that justice is what she wants because the Federal High Court in Lagos had awarded compensation for N2m even as she informed that Court of Appeal dismissed her case against the SARS officers. 

Adopting her testimony before the panel, Obiechina, who appeared to have whispered to his wife not to forget to mention that the officers made away with their money, N50,000 he withdrew from ATM when he was called on the phone by the officers when he was coming to help her. 

She concluded, “We bailed ourselves with N250,00 and N150,000. 

The head of the investigative panel, retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, however, said in view of the fact that the petitioner mentioned names of some officers, she informed that the panel will communicate with Commissioner of Police to get the officers to come to tell their own side of the story. 

The date of the next hearing has been fixed till 10 November 2020.