#EndSARS panel issues arrest warrant on commissioner of police

An arrest warrant has been issued against the Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal Services at the Force Headquarters, CP Igbeh Ochogwu by the an #EndSARS panel.

The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct SARS and other units of the Nigeria Police Force issued the arrest warrant over the refusal of the police officer to turn in casefile that would aid in the investigation of the alleged enforced disappearance and unlawful arrest and detention of one John Emeka Alozie by the Force since June 25, 2017.

The Deputy Director Public Affairs, Force Headquarters, Fatimah Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said the CP had been ordered on several occasions to appear before the panel with the casefile of the victim (Alozie), but failed to honour the summon, despite adjourning the petitions five times to allow more time for the CP to do the needful.

Displeased by the ugly development, chairman of the panel Justice Suleiman Galadima, retd, who issued the arrest warrant on the top police officer, observed that the attitude of Ochogwu was unbecoming of a lawyer and officer of the Police Force.

According to the eminent jurist, the only option left for the panel was to issue a warrant of arrest on the CP Legal and mandate the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, to write to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee, LPDC, to report Ochogwu’s conduct in the matter.

Justice Galadima said: “The only option left for the panel is to issue a warrant of arrest on the CP Legal and mandate the National Human Rights Commission to write to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to report Ochogwu’s conduct in the matter.

“The CP has flagrantly and repeatedly disobeyed the order of the panel, having refused to turn in the said casefile to enable the panel to unravel the truth about the whereabouts of Alozie in accordance with the law.” 

He noted that the CP had flagrantly and repeatedly disobeyed the order of the panel, having refused to turn in the said case file to enable the panel unravel the truth about the whereabouts of Alozie in accordance with the law, and adjourned the case to today.

The respondents in the matter are ASP M. Obiozor of the defunct SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra; Uzi Emeana; Sunday Okpe, Anambra Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police.