The Chairman of the IIP-SARS, Justice Suleiman Galadima (rtd) on Tuesday warned complainants before the panel to stop forum shopping in a bid to seek redress for human rights violations, saying that he will not hesitate to strike out any petition that is receiving attention before another authority.
The jurist stated this while reacting to an information from Barrister I.W. Izon, who told the panel that his client, Igwe Michael Chidozie has the intention to withdraw his petition from the panel.
The Chairman observed that a lot must have been spent in terms of publicity to bring these petitions to public attention only for some of the petitioners to withdraw them.
In view of the above, the complainant’s counsel made an oral application seeking to withdraw the petition which bordered on unlawful arrest and detention, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.
He also told the 11-Member panel that the matter was already being resolved via Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), even as he apologize for the inconveniences the case might have caused the panel so far.
Justice Galadima said, “the petition having been withdrawn is hereby struck out”.
In another petition, the panel adjourned till 22nd of November for continuation of hearing into John Ogbu’s matter involving unlawful arrest and detention, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.
When the matter came up on Tuesday, the complainant’s counsel, Chikodili Emmanuella Ezeugwu told the panel that her client was down with fever and therefore could not come to the panel.
Earlier, the complainant had testified before the panel that police wrongfully arrested and detained him and also ceased some of his television sets when they visited his shop in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
In the process, he stated that some police officers tortured him. He listed Inspector Edwin Kendiry of defunct SARS FCT, Commissioner of Police FCT and Inspector General of Police as 1st, 2nd and 3rd respondents respectively.
He therefore prayed the panel to order N5 million compensation for the torture and other human rights violations he suffered in the hands of some offices of the Force.
He also asked for N1 million as a refund to the medical expenses he incurred as a rest of the torture among others.
