The Nigerian Police on Tuesday told the Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) that allegation of N3 million naira bribe to bail Edward Dumisara who later died after his arrest and detention by the Police was fabricated to tarnish the image of some officers of the Force.
A complainant and brother of the deceased, Confidence Leera deposed in his affidavit before the Panel stated that some Officers of the Nigerian Police including DSP Essien Edet and ASP David Ahmed Agbo connived to demand N3 million bail money from him before they could release his brother while he was still alive in Police custody in Rivers state.
However, in his explanation second respondent in the matter, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Essien Edet told the 11-Member panel Chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima that he has already filed a counter affidavit to challenge the depositions of the complainant, Leera on the 8th of January 2021 which he said was also served on all the parties in the case.
DSP Edet who is a member of the legal team of the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) while cross examining the complainant before the Panel, averred the complainant has never met him and therefore did not negotiate to be paid the sum of Three Million Naira (N3m) to facilitate the release of Dumisara (Leera’s brother) while he was still in Police custody.
He therefore told the panel that the complainant was not a witness of truth insisted that all his claims concerning the N3 million naira bribe should be discountenanced as falsehood.
Similarly, Counsel to the first and third respondents, Gabriel Urom Okata while cross examining the Leera noted that the statements and depositions of the complainants were entirely based on hearsay evidence and therefore cannot be taken seriously since he never witnessed the arrest of his brother by the Police.
He also told the Panel that Leera has no evidence to show that Rivers state declared Amnesty Programme in July and October 2019, even as the complainant showed a picture that captured some members of the Amnesty Committee in the state.
Counsel to the 1st and 3rd respondents said that the complainant only sent the sums of N5,000 and N20,000 at different occasions to the 3rd respondent, ASP David Ahmed Agbo when his brother has already been released from the custody of the Police.
Besides, Okata emphasised that the claim made by the complainant to the effect that ASP Agbo withdrew monies on different occasions with his late brother’s ATM card cannot be substantiated.
According to Leera, ASP David Ahmed Agbo and some other officers of the Police withdrew his brother’s money on several occasions using his ATM they allegedly seized when they arrested him.
While responding to the above claims by the Police counsel, Leera said that he never negotiated with the 2nd respondent, DSP Edet in respect of the N3m bail while his brother was in the custody of the Police adding that he was in touch with the 3rd respondent, ASP Agbo concerning the N3m bail money allegedly requested by the Police.
The case was adjourned to 2nd of March, 2021 for the respondents to open their defence.
It will be recalled that ASP David Ahmed Agbo told the Panel that Edward Dumisara whose brother, Confidence Leera, claimed was being held in police custody since November 1, 2019, is dead.
He added that his body was deposited at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) mortuary in Rivers state.
