Tina Amanda
A Hotelier, Dabotubo Briggs has cried to the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Police brutality, demanding two hundred million naira as damages for his Hotel Vegas Brothers located at Trans-Kalabari axis of Rumuolumeni in Obio Akpor local government area, which was invaded and vandalized by Police Officers.
According to him, in July 2017, the Divisional Police Officer of Rumuolumeni, DPO Kingsley Chukwu led a team of Police Operatives in a joint operation with F-SARS Officers and invaded his hotel premises, dislodged guests and vandalized the property.
He told the Commission that there was no petition against him to warrant the Police Officers committing such heinous crime that have shut him out of business, as the place is lying fallow since then.
“Till date, we were not giving reason for their invasion and vandalization, because before police will invade your property, they are supposed to invite you or come with a search warrant, but there was nothing like that. I need justice.”
How ever the panel agreed to visit the said property in order to ascertain the level of damage done.
One Okey Anyadike from Anambra state, has demanded the release of his younger brother Olisa Ebuka Vincent dead or alive.
He said his brother Olisa was arrested by Operatives of F-SARS in 2007, detained in Borokiri Police station and his corpse has not been seen till date.
He demanded that the panel should order the Nigerian Police to vacate the two storey building belonging to his brother Olisa currently occupied by the Police and converted to Choba Police station, and that the police should pay rent for the number of years they have occupied the building.
In his testimony, Anyadike said while his brother was in custody, Police Officers carted away his properties such as cars and other valuables in his building and sold them off, converted his two storey building located at Choba in Obio Akpor local government area, to the current Choba Police station.
He told the commission that he wrote petitions to the National Assembly and AIG Zone 6 in Calabar concerning the release of his brother, and the AIG ordered SARS Borokiri to release his brother which they never did till date.
He said that his life was under threat by SARS Officers as he persisted in pursuing the matter, adding that he escaped death from the hands of SARS Borokiri which made him return to Anambra.
“My brother was not an armed robber as alleged by the SARS, he was an international business man, he dealt on Electronics and spare parts. I gave him money which he used in starting business. He was married with children.
“Police Borokiri killed my brother and took over his property and sold all his valuables. They should release his corpse to us for proper burial or release him if he is still alive and vacate his property, because all the documents to the house is with me”.
Also, Mrs Magdalene Chinyere Amadi, demanded the release of her husband Amadi Chike Samuel whom she saw last on 15 June, 2019, when she visited him at the Borokiri Police station, where he was detained by Police Officers and since then, nothing has been heard of him after paying huge amount of money to the police.
“For two weeks, I didn’t know my husband’s whereabout, we were searching for him till i got a call from him, he told me he was arrested and detained at Borokiri Police station and demanded my presence. I went to see him at the station.
“When I saw him, his body was full of bruises, he could not make use of his two hands anymore, he told me the police have been torturing him since he was arrested and detained. I was directed to see an Officer by name SUPOL David Ameh, after which I was told to pay money which I paid through transfer.
“The police officers told me that the money will be used for his release and to charge him to court, but till date I have not seen nor heard anything of my husband after paying huge amount. I want the police to release him and pay me all the money I gave them”
