Sani Halilu and Haruna Usman have petitioned the independent investigative panel on Human Rights violation by the defunct SARS and other units of the police over allege torture inhuman and degrading treatment meted to them by Amadin Monday of the defunct SARS.
Sani Halilu a media practitioner testifying before the panel narrated how his travail started on the 10th of September 2020 when he was invited to cover an event at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja when according to him he cited a friend of his elder brother and walked to him to introduce himself.
According to him, the man later said he should see him after the program and in the course of the program he looked at the direction where the man sat and didn’t see him again.
Continuing, he said that he went in search of the man only to be arrested by SARS operatives on the allegation of missing laptop belonging to one Salisu Buhari at the hall of the hotel.
He said they were arrested, handcuffed and taken to SARS office for interrogation and two days later transferred to a cell where they spent nineteen days of torture.
As a result of the torture, he said they develop health challenges as blood was gushing out of his private part with rashes, sores and general body weakness while in detention.
Narrating further, he said the Investigating police officer was mounting pressure on his family to sell their farmlands and raise the sum of N500, 000 for them, adding that the pressure has continued even after his release.
The complainant’s prayer before the panel is to have his possessions returned to him, including two smart phones in their possession and N50, 000 he paid as bail.
Besides, he beseeched the panel to order the sum of N5 million awarded to each of them (complainants) for the psychological and physical trauma they suffered as a result of the arrest and detention by the police.
However, the Chairman of the panel Justice Suleiman Galadima has issued a warning to the respondents (police) to “tell Amadin Monday not to threaten Sani or his family henceforth”.
The matter has been adjourned to the 8 of April 2021 for cross examination and for the respondents to open their defence.
