The couple first appeared before the panel on October 31 when Mrs. Obiechina narrated how she was arrested by the dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), detained and tortured over a period of 22 days till she lost her two-month pregnancy.
A lawyer, representing the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Mr. Nosa Uhumwamgho, who admitted the debt yesterday before the Justice Doris Okuwobi-led Lagos State Judicial Panel of Enquiry and Restitution for Victims of SARS-related abuses and other matters, told the panel that the couple was arrested on the ground that their phone numbers were linked to that of the alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (alias Evans), during investigation.
In a dramatic narration of how the couple got arrested in the course of investigation, Uhumwamgho said they were asked: “Are you related to the popular Evans? Mrs Obiechina responded, who is Evans? But when the name Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike was mentioned, the schoolteacher said, “he is my brother.”
“They were further told that they know this person is popularly known as Evans?” Mrs. Obiechina responded, I never knew, but I know he was arrested for kidnapping.”
Explaining the connection between Evans and Mrs. Obiechina to the panel, Uhumwamgho said: “Evans was eventually arrested when Mrs. Obiechina led the police team to Evans’ location. We kept her for five days and that was why we were able to arrest Evans.”
Uhumwamgho also told the panel that in the course of interrogation, Obiechina was asked whether she was aware that one Umeh Francis was kidnapped sometimes in 2016 and a ransom of $1million was collected and the said Umeh reported the case to the police?
He said the schoolteacher responded that she was not aware, saying: “The police traced three phone numbers used by Evans in the operation and collection of the $1 million ransom of which one of the numbers belong to Obiechina.
The panel pointed out to Uhumwamgho that the issue brought before it by the couple was the failure of the police to comply with the N2 million judgment, which they secured against the police for the violation of their rights. In response, Uhumwamgho questioned the couple if their lawyer had filed an action in court for the enforcement of the judgment.
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