Some officials of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad has illegally arrested, tortured and humiliated an innocent man in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The arrest took place at about 3:00am on February 13, when SARS officers stormed the house of the man identified as John Chibuzor also known as DJ Ninja White.
Even though the victim was father of a suspect being sought after by SARS, the officers arrested Chibuzor instead of the suspect.
He was taken to SARS office at Obennhe, Abia State, where they chained his legs with other inmates.
Afterwards, he was forced to sweep the police station and his dreadlocks were cut off.
The victim’s wife and daughter, who visited the station, were also severely beaten with machetes by police officers.
Although the victim’s family were eventually pressured to produce the suspect, they were also made to pay N22,000 from before the victim was released.
Speaking on the development, rights lawyer and National President of Revolutionary Lawyer’s Forum, Mr Tope Akinyode, argued that the arrest of a person in place of another was unknown under the Nigerian law and the brutality meted out to one of the victims by cutting his hair was unlawful and disgraceful.
He said, “We will file an action for the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of the victims, shortly.”
