The Independent Investigation Panel set up to look into allegations of brutality and misconduct by personnel of the now disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), in Abuja, on Thursday heard how the police killed a young lady a day before she was to pass out from the National Youth Service scheme.
The petitioner, one Chinenye Igwetu, narrated how her sister, Linda, was killed by a policeman on the night of July 3, 2018, while on patrol.
Chinenye, who broke down in tears during her testimony which lasted for about 15 minutes, said her sister, who was living with her while she served, had gone out with her friends to celebrate the completion of her one year National Youth Service and passing out parade scheduled for the next day.
She stated that her sister had been working at a customer service provider firm, Outsource Global Company in Mabushi, Abuja, as her place of primary assignment.
She said Linda usually resumed work at 1p.m and closed at 11p.m.
According to her, in the night of July 3, 2018, the day of the incident, Linda went out with two of her colleagues, Tobi Bamidele and Arafat, to celebrate her passing- out from the NYSC scheme which was to take place the following day.
She said that at about 10.22p.m on that July 3, Linda sent her a WhatsApp message to inform her that she was going out to have some drinks with her colleagues to celebrate her imminent passing out from the NYSC scheme.
She said after waiting for her to return for some time, she slept off but later woke up at about 2a.m and was surprised to find out that her sister, who had a spare key to the apartment, was yet to return.
She said, “At about 4.35a.m, I got a distress call from an unknown number and it was Mr. Bamidele Tobi, asking me to come quickly to Garki hospital that something happened on their way home.
“I got to the hospital and was informed that my sister was shot by Inspector Benjamin Peters.
READ ALSO: Man Who Died From COVID-19 Wins Seat In State Legislature In US Election
“I saw Tobi drenched in blood and he was in handcuffs. I asked him what happened, and he could not answer because he was still in shock.
“A policewoman there took me aside and asked if I was the sister to Linda. She was like I have to be strong and narrated the experience that they had to trail these guys (that’s my sister and her colleagues) to the hospital.
“Later, Tobi said on their way from Civic Plaza, after they passed the plaza, they heard a loud sound and he thought it was one of his tyres and he looked at the mirrors and saw that the tyres were ok.
“He said the next thing was that my sister tapped him slowly from the back seat that something hit her below her breast and when they turned on the light in the car, she was already in a pool of blood.”
According to Chinenye, they later discovered that Linda had been shot.
She said her sister kept bleeding at the hospital, but despite her and her friend’s readiness to donate blood to save the deceased’s life, the nurses and doctors said they would not take blood from a woman.
She said she called on her male friends and left for the national blood bank at Zone 4 in Wuse, Abuja, where they were initially told that there was no blood.
However, she said shortly after she left, a call from the blood bank asked her to return to get some blood.
According to her, while on her way back to the blood bank, one of her male friends who had been to the hospital to donate blood, called her to return to the hospital.
She said she returned to the blood bank all the same, only to later find out that she was being called to return to the hospital earlier because her sister had died.
Asked if she had heard from the police since the incident, she said Inspector Peters who allegedly shot her sister was arrested and interrogated but after a while, the police officer investigating the case stopped answering her calls.
She also said that she received a call from the then Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who later set up a four-man committee of senators to probe the case, but nothing came out that too.
Asked what she wanted from the panel, Chineye said, “I want justice. I want my family to be compensated. I want to see my family smile once again. I want justice for my sister.”
The sitting was later adjourned until Friday.
