DRAMA AS SUSPECT CONFRONTS SARS OFFICER FOR SHOOTING HIM

*Victim: SARS shot my leg during arrest *He’s my informant, counters policeman

John Chikezie

A 30-year-old scavenger, Adetiba Sunday, has narrated how Inspector Godwin Ogedengbe, a policeman attached to the Federal Special Anti-robbery Squad, Magbon, Abeokuta, Ogun State, shot his right foot during an arrest. 

Sunday narrated his ordeal before the Presidential Investigation Panel on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force for Southwest Geopolitical zone set up by the then Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo.

The victim told the panel that he was at his place of work when Ogedengbe and some of his team members raided the place and arrested him on June 22, 2012. 

The panel, which was saddled with the responsibility of hearing and investigating the complaints against SARS and make recommendations to government on how SARS could be reformed, began it's hearing on the complaints on last Tuesday. 

At the Thursday hearing, Sunday said he was not taken to the hospital after being shot, neither was any of his family members informed of his whereabouts. 

His words: "When I was arrested at Ogijo, Ogedengbe shot me on my leg out of annoyance and took me to Ogijo Police Station before I was transferred to Magbon in Abeokuta. When I was brought to Ogijo Police Station, I met other four suspects there. Ogedengbe asked them if they knew me; it was only one that said he knew me and when I was asked if I knew them, I said no. Immediately, Ogedengbe slapped, pushed me to the ground and started stomping on my face.

"After about five days at Magbon cell, I was brought out to write statement but I refused because I didn't know the offence I committed. Inspector Ogedengbe told me to stretch my second leg and threatened to shoot it if I didn’t write my statement; he later wrote the statement himself.

“I was in detention for about a month before I was taken to court. I was charged with six other people for conspiracy and cultism, but I never knew who those other people were before we were all arraigned in court.  Before I was taken to court, my family members had looked for me. When they couldn’t find me, they concluded that I was dead. It was after a month in the cell that the officers took me to my house for a search that my family members knew I was still alive. We attended the court proceedings for about eight times until we were all discharged for lack of diligent prosecution," victim recounts. 

Sunday further told the panel that after he was discharged by the court, Ogedengbe continued to attack him with threats of sending him back to prison.

However, Ogedengbe, who was also called upon to defend himself before the panel, denied all the allegations while adding that Sunday was someone he had a good relationship with and could never shoot him.

He said: “My team was sent to Ogijo due to the land grabber clashes. We arrested one Raphiu, who made a statement about the members of his gang and the name of Sunday came up. It was at the police station that one officer said Sunday was a notorious cultist that had different types of weapons. We investigated and after investigation, we charged him to court for conspiracy and cultism.

“I have a good relationship with Sunday; he is a notorious criminal who might have gotten his injury from elsewhere. I cannot threaten someone that gives me information. Sunday became my informant after he was discharged by the court. I've even paid him N10, 000 before for bringing me a job. I even invited him to my girlfriend's birthday party where he came and served drinks to invitees.”