A Deputy Superintendent of Police Cornelius Agbo on Monday told the Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights atrocities committed by SARS how he escaped from the assault of six men who allegedly hit his head repeatedly during the investigation of a case.

The incident happened in 2013 while he defecated in a nearby bush at Durumi in Abuja.

DSP Agbo made this statement in respect of a petition filed by Tony Duchi and seven other complainants from Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State, alleging that the police unlawfully tortured, detained and imprisoned them based on ethnic origin, although the police had before now made allegations of conspiracy, assault and theft for which they were arrested and subsequently taken to court.

The Senior Police Officer, who currently serves at MOPOL 29 Awka, Anambra State, told the 11-member panel chaired by Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd.), that the assault took place while he was serving at the FCT Police command.

According to him, trouble started when he went to fix his car at a mechanic workshop located at Durumi, Abuja and he had to enter the bush to answer the call of nature.

Agbo said, “Since there was no handy toilet facility in the area, I had to make use of the nearby bush as was directed by the mechanic without knowing that danger in form of assault was waiting for me.

“While I was defecating in the bush, three men wielding sticks suddenly accosted me and started hitting me on my head, which resulted in serious bleeding.

“While the hitting intensified, I started to flee for my life and unfortunately for me, I ran into another three men who also took their turn in beating me with wood as well.

“In the end, I managed to escape without my car and visited a Pharmacy where my injury was treated.”

Thereafter, Agbo said he headed home and that the following morning, he went to Garki police station to report the matter.

Upon reporting the incident to the police, the DPO mobilised a patrol team to effect arrest where he was allegedly attacked.

He said that he and his mechanic were able to identify the suspects which resulted in their arrest and detention at Garki police station in Abuja.

According to him, he made his statement concerning the assault before leaving the station.

He also informed the panel that the suspects were subsequently charged at Wuse Zone 6 Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja before he was transferred to Awka, Anambra State.

Agbo said that he did not know the outcome of the case and that nobody called him in respect of the matter.

Police counsel, Fidelis Ogwobe who led him in his testimony before the panel asked whether he shot sporadically when the incident occurred or caused the eight complainants to be tortured by SARS.

He said that he was not with any gun while he visited the mechanic workshop and therefore couldn’t have shot sporadically as claimed by the complainants.

He also said that even though he works with SARS he did not report the case to SARS, adding that he rather reported it to the Garki police station.

He, therefore, denied the allegation of torture by SARS as made by the complainants.

On cross-examination by counsel to the complainants, Simon Yusuf, he said that he could no longer remember if he ever made testimonies before a Chief Magistrate Court in Karu, even though Yusuf informed the panel that he (DSP Agbo) testified before the aforesaid court in respect of the matter.

Yusuf also told the panel that DSP Agbo had informed the court that the eight suspects weren’t those who assaulted him and that they were mere victims of circumstance, which the DSP however denied before the panel.

The complainants had earlier informed the panel that on the day of their arrest, a team of policemen came to their residential houses in Durumi, Abuja shooting sporadically to their utter surprise.

The matter was adjourned to November 30, 2021, for continuation of defence.