The
Inspector General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris has refunded N6million extorted
from an Anambra businessman, Mr Ugochukwu Oraefo by operatives of the Special
Anti-Robbery Squad(SARS) after he was allegedly abducted in May this year.
The
executive director of International Human Rights and Equity Defence
Foundation(I-REF), Barr Justus Ijeoma has recounted a chilling story of how
SARS operatives in Anambra allegedly abducted a businessman, Ugochukwu Oraefo
and extorted a total of N6million from him.
Ijeoma, a
human rights lawyer who briefed journalists in Onitsha Wednesday, however, said
that the money extorted has been refunded, following a petition his group sent
to Ithe Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
He had
petitioned the IG over the abduction of Oraefo by three operatives of SARS from
Anambra who refused to disclose to him his crime, except that he paid ransom to
some people in 2013 without involving the police.
They asked
him to pay the sum of N20million before he could regain his freedom.
Ijeoma said,
“The victim was locked up for six days and heavily tortured by the operatives
who did not disclose to him his offence, but merely asked him to pay the sum of
N20million to regain freedom or be killed.
“On the
fifth day of his detention, the operatives carried out what could be termed as
mock execution on him. They blindfolded him and drove him for a period of three
hours, then they got to a spot which he suspected to be somewhere around Edo
State.
“They showed
him a borough pit and told him he would end up in it. The commander told his
men to position themselves and shoot at him (Oraefo) when he orders so. Oraefo
was asked to move towards the pit and not to look back. At the command ‘shoot’,
gunshots rent the air and he fell and fainted, thinking he had been killed.”
He said it
was after the mock execution that the victim went into negotiation with them
and finally paid N6million before he was released.
Ijeoma said
his group petitioned the IG in July and “As I speak to you now, they have paid
back the sum of N5.98million, while N20,000 was kept back for a reason we do
not know.
“The reason
we are briefing you today(Thursday) is, however, because as we speak, despite
overwhelming evidence against the officers, no sanction has been meted out to
any of them and all are still in their previous postings.
“We urge the
police authorities to expedite action on the investigation process and action
taken against those found culpable to serve as a deterrent to others,” the
group called.
Ijeoma regretted
that despite efforts to reform the police, the force has remained rotten, as
the ‘ransom’ extorted by the errant operatives was delayed unreasonably by
officers at the force headquarters after it was recovered, as they tried to
keep back part of the money, despite the pressure mounted by the group.
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