A petitioner, Aniekan Archibong, before the Independent Investigative Panel on human rights violations by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other police units in Abuja has narrated, via zoom meeting, (a novelty introduced by the panel), how the Nigerian Police allegedly arrested him unlawfully, detained him and also seized his properties in Calabar, Cross Rivers state despite court orders to release his properties to him.
Aniekan, who operates a patent medicine store, gave his testimony virtually stating that on September 23 2019, one Sgt Anthony Eze, then attached to the anti-robbery unit of the State Police Command headquarter, in the company of some persons accosted him in his shop, manhandled him, without telling him his offence and took him away to the police station while tagging him an armed robber.
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“While I was in detention, my Toyota Carina Car, Samsung phone, HP laptop and the sum of N68, 000 were seized from me by Sgt Anthony Eze”, he added.
Continuing in his testimony before the 9 man panel, Aniekan stated that he was released after 4 days in detention without the police releasing his properties that were seized from him.
He also said that he later discovered that Sgt Anthony Eze did not declare all the items he confiscated from him and all efforts to recover the aforementioned items proved abortive. This led him to file a suit at the High Court in Cross River, Judicial Division Calabar for the enforcement of his fundamental rights and he claimed judgement was given in his favour against the police, for Sgt Anthony to release his properties.
Under cross examination, the counsel to respondents, Fidelis Ogwobe asked Aniekan what was the judgement of the court on the matter. In response Aniekan stated that despite the intervention of the court, he told the panel that his properties confiscated by the police are yet to be released.
The matter was adjourned to March 21 2022 for defence.
