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Victim of torture demands apology from police

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Francis Ogbaji, a victim of alleged police torture, on Friday demanded justice and an apology from the Force.

Ogbaji, who worked as a security guard at the Bayelsa State House in Abuja, told the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) panel investigating alleged human rights violations by operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that he was detained and tortured by some police operatives.

He said: “On April 11, 2020, my three colleagues and I were arrested and taken to the central police station following a report of theft of some items in the area we were asked to guard.

“We were accused of stealing a television set, banner, refrigerator, and some documents from one of the offices in the building we were guarding.

“My family members applied for my bail and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) set the bail conditions which were eventually met on April 13, 2020.

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“Surprisingly, the DPO transferred the case file to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Garki, Abuja.”

The complainant said he was detained at the SARS facility for 26 days on the orders of ACP Mantu of SCID, Federal Capital Territory.

Ogbaji added: “I was detained without proper feeding and I was tortured.

“I sustained injuries as a result of the handcuffs on my wrist and was ordered to confess that I stole the items.

“They threatened to kill me if I don’t confess.

“I suffered untold hardship as a result of the detention. I lost my job.”

He urged the panel to compel the police to write an apology letter to him to prove that he was innocent.

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