SARS tortured us to blame Saraki, according to petitioners
The two sides who signed the EndSARS Judicial Commission of Inquiry, which met Wednesday in Ilorin, the state capital of Kwara, described how officers and soldiers of the disbanded SARS Special Force tortured them in order to attract the former Senate President. Bukola Saraki in the April 5, 2018 robbery incident
The complainants stated that the officers, who feared SARS, also forced them to lie to Saraki, claiming that he had bought weapons for them.
The applicants, Alhaji Kehinde Gobir and Alhaji Shuayb Javando, described their petition as “SARS officials who are alleged to be with impunity and violate human rights”.
People who said they spent more than 73 days in police custody in both Ilorin and Abuja added that the police accused them of seizing weapons from former Senate President Bukola Saraki in order to allegedly participate in the robbery.
In their separate testimonies, the two claimed that SARS granted them “administrative bond” with a stern warning to refrain from communicating with Saraki.
The applicants denied that Saraki had used them for criminal activities, adding that they had been tortured and held in inhuman conditions in the Ilorin and Abuja police detention centers.
They admitted that they were only political supporters of Senator Saraki, adding that the police threatened them to use Saraki during their alleged trial in custody.
The petitioners also accused SARS employees of confiscating their property, including two Toyota Corollas, phones, and 250,000 N250,000 collected before they were released on bail.
They also called on jurors to help them restore their battered image in the public eye as they faced unjustified shame and dishonor that they believed affected their livelihood and economic well-being.
They said: “In view of the above and in the interest of fairness, we urge your esteemed leadership to intervene immediately by returning our property, as doing so amounts to violating fundamental human rights that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should enjoy as amended.
“We did not participate in any crimes, did not participate in any robbery killings in Offa, or had a criminal record, as SARS agents mistakenly claimed. We urge the Commission to do what is necessary to facilitate the rapid restoration of our property. “
In his response, police attorney Adekunle Ivalae urged the commission to completely reject the petitions.
The chairman of the commission, retired judge Tunde Garba, subsequently updated this issue until 13 January 2021.
Source: – The Nation
