My brother was shot during interrogation -Sister

A worried lady in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Treasure Chinonye Okpara, has urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to investigate why detectives attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Akwuzu, Anambra State, shot her younger brother’s leg while he was in their custody.

The suspect, Miracle Ifeanyichukwu Okpara 23, was said to have been arrested for allegedly stealing a laptop.

Treasure said that a former detainee in SARS, after he got bailed, came to tell them that Miracle was shot in his leg and abandoned in an underground cell to die. The leg had since started decaying. Treasure said that Miracle was locked up with 10 suspects, but seven had already died due to ill treatment from SARS men.

Determined to get justice for Miracle and also secure his bail, Treasure got in touch with human right activists. When the activists got involved in the case, the police hurried rushed the dying Miracle to hospital.

Miracle’s family didn’t know he had been in SARS’ custody since January. Treasure said that aside from thinking that Miracle was too busy with his job to call them, it was a known fact that his phone had been faulty for long.

The suspect was working in Lagos, while Treasure works at Abuja. Their mother, who is critically ill, resides in Anambra State.

Miracle was alleged to been working in a church, when he and his cousin were arrested over a missing laptop.

Treasure said: “We didn’t know that Miracle was in SARS prison until a former detainee called my mother. He was kind enough to locate our house. He cried as he narrated his experience in SARS detention. He begged us to do everything within our power to get Miracle out of detention. He told us that the police shot Miracle on the leg during interrogation. I understand the crime was committed in Lagos, I don’t understand why he was transferred to Anambra State SARS.”

Treasure further noted: “The young man said that the gunshot injury on Miracle’s leg was already decaying. The guy said that in that SARS cell, they don’t used to give suspects food.  He said that police used to cut off body parts of detainees’ and throw the person unconscious into cell.  Nigerians are suffering there. No matter the crime one committed, the person should be charged to court rather than dying in SARS cell like an animal.”

After the family got the information, they went to SARS with Miracle’s picture, but the police there denied knowing Miracle. The policemen there were alleged to have physically pushed his weeping mother away.

The family made further efforts and got the phone number of the Investigating Police Officer (IPO).

The mother called the number; she was asked by the IPO to come to the station. When she got there, the IPO warned her never to come to the station again.

Treasure said: “My mother has High Blood Pressure (BP). Since heard that Miracle was detained and shot, she has refused to eat and cries every time.”

Mr. Justus Ijeoma, a human right activist, who is pursuing bail and justice for the detainee, in conjunction with Network on Police Reforms Nigeria (NOPRIN), said he was already speaking with the Officer in Charge of SARS Awkuzu on the issue of Miracle.

He said: “We met with the OC SARS in Awkuzu on the matter of citizen Miracle Ifeanyichukwu Okpara, whose report was made by Okechukwu Nwanguma of NOPRIN. The OC acknowledged that Ifeanyichukwu is in their custody. He, however, refused to allow us access to him. The OC explained that Ifeanyichukwu is being treated in an undisclosed hospital for gunshot wound. He insisted that due to security reasons, he couldn’t allow us to see the victim that day. However, he said I should call him by Wednesday, so that we would see the victim.”

Nwanguma said: “Justus went to SARS with the mother of the suspect and the OC brought him out for them. But police didn't allow them to ask Miracle anything. The OC asked Justus Ijeomah to call him this week to know the next step. The police should charge Miracle If they have evidence or grant him bail. Obviously, they would have killed him but for our intervention.

“According to the sister, seven out of 10 suspects are already dead from ill treatment. The OC said that he immediately took Miracle to hospital for treatment after we called to inquire about him. We asked Justus Ijeomah to go and see the boy in SARS custody. He went with the boy's mother. Before this time, the mother had gone several times, but was chased away.

“Prior to our intervention, they had shot all of them on the legs and abandoned them to die without any medical attention and without any apparent plan to take them to court. This case clearly shows that the use of torture and shooting of suspects remain the primary means of investigation in SARS. It's an institutional culture and unless those who killed and tortured in the past are brought to account, there will be no deterrence to these egregious crimes by police officers in SARS. Seventy percent of SARS Awkuzu detainees or their relatives whom, I have come across in the past nearly decade in the course of my work as a police reform advocate, have informed me that human organs of some of the detainees killed at SARS are harvested and allegedly sold to ritual dealers. The attitude has always been to dismiss this claim or ignore it on account of want of evidence instead of investigating it."

On Wednesday, Justus and Nwanguwa discovered the OC SARS Akwuzu, has secretly charged Miracle to court, without allowing him to have a legal representation. Miracle has been remanded. The activists are presently trying to find the prison he is remanded.