A 54-year-old petitioner, Basil Ejiagwu who filed a complaint against the now-disbanded Special Anti Robbery Squad SARS has died days before giving testimony.
Testifying before the Lagos Judicial Panel on Restitution for victims of brutality by the disbanded SARS Operatives, Ejiagwu’s cousin, Chukwu Vincent said the deceased died exactly a week ago, on the 17th of November, 2020 as a result of grave head injuries inflicted on him by SARS operatives.
When the deceased was called out to present his case, his counsel Olalekan Gazali informed the panel that “the petitioner is no more, we lost him last week as a result of the torture meted to him by SARS
“His wife came to the panel all the way from Imo State with his picture to show the state of his health but unfortunately the matter did not go on at the last sitting, the counsel said.”
The counsel who revealed that his client died as a result of brain tumour after suffering by SARS officers urged the panel to allow him call on a family member to testify.
“He is being represented by a family member who has his death certificate, hospital bills other hospital records and is ready to testify on his behalf,” the counsel told the panel.
However, the counsel representing the police, Mr. Joseph Eboseremen raised an objection to the effect that, “it can’t be proven that his death was directly caused by the torture from SARS as it took place a while ago.”
His objection was overruled by the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi and the relative, Mr Chukwu Vincent, a businessman who describes himself as a cousin to the deceased is then called upon to testify.
“According to Basil, he was arrested by men of the police, on his way from work at Alaba while going home. He was taken to Igando Police Station where he spent five days. They damaged his legs while hitting him with a hammer while he was there and he was later taken to Ikeja.
“We rushed him to El-Shaddai Hospital at Iba/Igando.
“The hospital results said the ‘hitting’ was responsible. He even travelled abroad at some point and it was him who filed this matter,” the witness, Vincent testified.
He went on to say, “We noticed gashes on his head from where he claimed to have been beaten by police with their guns. He was eventually diagnosed with a brain tumour. The incident happened in 2014 and we tried to treat it till 2017. I spent my personal money too and as time went by, it got worse and he began to lose his memory.”
“When his condition was too severe, the family decided to move him out of Lagos to the east, then we started searching for a good lawyer to take up the case,” the witness said.
The Panel then admitted in evidence hospital documents including photocopies of drug prescription forms and a bill of N1m for his treatment. The hospital documents came from the Lagos State Government General Hospital in Alimosho and the El-Shaddai Hospital also in the Iba/Igando area of the state.
The panel also admitted a N40million judgement the deceased obtained in his favour from the Federal High Court, Lagos.
Through the witness, the family is appealing to the panel to help enforce the judgment against the police which was said to have been delivered on the 16th of April 2019.
The matter has been adjourned until December 4 for further hearing.
