#EndSARS: Counsel argues against complainant's N100m compensation
Taiwo said that the complainant was not unlawfully arrested or detained for 58 days as he claimed, saying that he made the allegations simply to tarnish the image of the police.
A lawyer, Mr Malik Taiwo, representing the Nigeria Police at the Independent Investigative Panel on #EndSARS, kicked against a petitioner's prayer for the police to pay N100 million compensation to the petitioner.
The National Human Rights Commission panel has been investigating alleged human rights abuses by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other police units.
The Petitioner, Mr Emenike Umezuruike, alleged before the panel in Abuja on Monday that the police arrested him unlawfully and detained him under inhuman condition.
In his petition marked 2020/IIP-SARS/ABJ/219, Umezuruike named the Divisional Police Officer of Cameron Barracks Police Station in Aba, Abia, whose name was given simply as Rotimi as violating his fundamental human rights.
Umezuruike also named the officer in charge of crime at the Umuagwo Police Station in Imo, identified simply as Sgt. Emma and the Divisional Police Officer at the station, Mr Ikembuchukwu Abugu, Umuagwo as having dealt with him ruthlessly.
According to him, others are one Insp. Chinyere, Insp. Ebini, and the commissioner of police in Abia; the commissioner of police in Imo and the inspector-general of police.
But Taiwo told the panel in his address that the petitioner should not be awarded any compensation because he was not detained by the police as he claimed and that his evidence was not convincing enough.
He argued that the testimony given by the complainant should be dismissed, citing the fact that no independent witness had corroborated the testimony before the panel.
Taiwo said that the complainant was not unlawfully arrested or detained for 58 days as he claimed, saying that he made the allegations simply to tarnish the image of the police.
"What did he suffer as a result of the detention? Did he go to hospital? Where was he detained? There is no clarity."
After listening to the submissions of the counsel, Mr Garba Tetengi, (SAN), who represented the Chairman of the panel, retired Justice Suleiman Galadima, adjourned the petition.
Umezurike had earlier, while narrating his ordeals in the hands of the police, said that he was unlawfully detained for 58 days at the Cameroun Barracks Police Station, Aba, where the police tried to extort N5 million from him.
He told the panel that while he was trying to market a landed property, the police arrested and detained him at Umuagwo Police Station in Ohaji Egbema community in Imo.
Umezuruike told the panel that the property he was trying to sell came through one Johnbosco.
He disclosed that unknown to him, Johnbosco was into illegal business of framing charges against innocent people and using the police to detain and extort money from them in the name of bail.
According to him while at the police station, "a lady surfaced and claimed that I duped her sometime in 2007", which he said made the police to prolong his detention.
He stated further that he tried to defend himself by telling the police that he did not know the lady, let alone duping her to the tune of N5 million but that his defence was not considered by the police.
The petitioner alleged further that he was tear-gassed and beaten with rope and cane by Insp. Ebini at Cameroun Barracks Police Station in Aba.
He pleaded with the panel to order compensation of N100 million in his favour, following the alleged human rights violations meted out to him by the police.