The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct SARS and other units of the Nigerian Police Force on Friday ordered the Chairman of National Drug Laws Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd) to produce the immediate past Commander of IGP-Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Deputy Commissioner of Police Abba Kyari before the panel on the 22nd of March, 2022.
A Representative of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) at the panel, John Aikpokpo Martins who made the order while presiding over the panel on behalf of the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) noted that the presence of Abba Kyari before the panel became necessary owing to the fact a witness of the petitioner had earlier testified that Abba Kyari allegedly promised to reach out to him in respect of the missing persons, and till date nothing was heard about them.
Similarly, the panel also ordered the new Commandant of the IGP-IRT, Tunde Dirsu to do the needful to ensure that Abba Kyari whom he succeeded in Office is produced before the panel on the aforesaid date.
The orders were made in respect of three persons who were allegedly arrested and detained by the IGP-IRT detention facility and till date, their whereabouts is still unknown. The trios were Yakubu Danjuma, Ibrahim Daniel and Choji Dung.
The order of the panel followed information from Panel’s counsel, Halilu Adamu that Abba Kyari was in the custody of the NDLEA and Police Counsel James Idachaba told the panel that the Police can no longer produce Kyari since he is no longer in Police custody, having been suspended.
It would be recalled that the panel had on the 8th of March, 2022 ordered the Office of the Inspector General of Police to unfailingly produce the aforementioned three victims before it.
Before the panel’s order, a Federal High Court, FCT sitting in Gudu had ordered for the release of the mentioned persons but till date the order was not carried out.
Earlier in the proceedings at the panel, lead counsel for the Police, James Idachaba informed the panel that he personally made some efforts to produce the case file in respect of the matter from the IGP-IRT Office.
According to him he went to the Office of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and that till date, he is yet to get details of the whereabouts of the three persons in question.
He went further to say that the disbandment of IRT somehow affected their search for the three victims, adding that all the officers of the defunct IRT have been transferred to different Police Commands.
He, however, promised to do the necessary things within his powers to ensure that documents and information about the missing persons are supplied to the panel.
The families of the missing persons in a petition had alleged that their breadwinners were arrested and detained in 2019 by the Police and nothing has been heard about them till date.
The matter was adjourned to 22nd of March, 2022.
