The men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) in Anambra State, have refunded N6 millon allegedly extorted from a trader in Onitsha, Mr. Ugochukwu Oraefo.
The refund followed a petition written to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, by the lawyer to the victim, Uche Ijeoma, of the International Human Rights and Equity Defense Foundation.
The lawyer had in the petition, alleged that his client was arrested by the SARS men (now FSARS) who refused him access to his family for over two weeks.
Ijeoma further alleged that the policemen threatened to wipe out the victim’s family if he dared disclose his arrest, detention and the N6 million extortion to anybody.
The petition partly read, “The victim was taken into their torture chamber and hanged for close to an hour.
“The SARS operatives later claimed that the victim was arrested because he paid N50m to an unknown caller in 2013 rather than for him to have reported the case.
“The SARS men claimed that somebody reported the victim to them in connection with the caller, who was a self-confessed criminal.
“They blindfolded him, put him into their vehicle and drove for a period of two hours. At a particular location, which the victim suspected was somewhere around Edo State, they brought out the victim and remove his blindfold. They told him that was the end of his journey.
“They showed him a burrow pit, which they told him was where they would waste his life like they had wasted others in the past.
“As the victim got to the edge of the pit, one of them shouted fire! The guns of his men went off. They fired into the air and the victim fell to the ground and almost passed out.
“The victim, petrified after his experience, went into a negotiation and accepted to pay N5 million.
“The leader of the squad called the victim into his office and told him that the only condition he would approve the N5m was for the victim to give him N1m separately. The victim agreed.
“When the victim asked for an account number to transfer the money, the SARS men declined. They demanded for cash”.
Addressing newsmen in Onitsha, yesterday, the lawyer to the victim, expressed appreciation to the IGP over his quick intervention on the matter.
He, however, regretted that no punishment had been meted out on any of the officers, despite obvious evidences against them, insisting that they should be appropriately sanctioned as a deterrent to others.
Police Nab 50 Suspected Robbers, Kidnappers
“We call on the Police authorities to expedite action on the investigation process with a view to bringing it to a logical conclusion without further delay.
“The outcome of the investigation and actions taken against those found culpable must be made public as it will serve as a deterrent to others, who may still want to journey on this perilous path of dishonour,” he noted.
Post Disclaimer
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of Anaedo Online or official policies of the Anaedo Online.