A petitioner, Mr.Mamman Danladi, who is also a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police, was demanding compensation the Nigerian Police Force for allegedly torturing his nephew to death.
Mr. Danladi told the Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police on Monday that his nephew was extra judicially killed over an alleged theft.
In his testimony before the Justice Suleiman Galadima led panel, Danladi , a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police said that on 10th January,2007 at about 10am,his 25year old nephew Kenneth Yusuf was arrested by the police on the allegation that he stole 2 bags of cement.
According to Danladi, he emphasized that Kenneth was hale and hearty when he was handcuffed and forcefully taken away to the police station in Jikwoyi, At the police station, he was allegedly severely beaten by five policemen while he was being interrogated and was later locked up in a cell.
Continuing his narration, he said on the 11th January, 2007, the policemen continued with their torture till Kenneth lost consciousness. According to the retired police officer, he got the information from Kenneth’s friends; Felix Dabo and Peter Orji who were present when the deceased was subjected to cruel and inhumane degrading treatment by the policemen.
The retired DSP said his nephew was left in an unconscious state for hours before he was taken to POGBA Clinic and Maternity in Jikwoyi, where he was dumped without medical attention because the police refused to deposit money for the commencement of treatment.
Danladi stated that it was the call by Kenneth’s friends notifying the deceased father, (Yusuf Danladi), who also is the complainant’s younger brother, that his son was in coma and has been left at the POGBA clinic by the police unattended.
Immediately, Yusuf Danladi, the father of the decease came from Kwoi,in Jaba local government area on 12th January,2007 and went straight to the hospital where he deposited the sum of N3,000 for treatment. Sadly, before anything could be done for Kenneth he died same day.
The prayer of the family was that the perpetrators be punished and compensation be paid to cover for the hospital, morgue and burial expenses.
