Published November 18, 2020
Tony Okafor , Awka
A school proprietor , Mr Emma Adimachukwu, on Tuesday told the Anambra State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality , Extral Judicial Killings and other Related Matters that the disbanded Special -Anti Robbery Squad charged him N 400, 000 to feed his son in their custody .
Adimachukwu, an indigene of Oraifite in the Ekwusigo Local Government Area , but resident in Asaba , Delta State , said his son Obinna Sandy , a businessman, was killed in 2014 .
He said, “ My son graduated from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University ; because he read business administration , I opened a shop for him at Mount Olive shopping plaza , Onitsha .
“ He travelled to India to buy clothes . On March 14 , 2014 , he went to Nnewi and collected $ 10 ,000 owed him by a friend and proceeded to Onitsha to take delivery of his goods that just arrived .
“ It was while waiting for the goods that some SARS men arrived and started shooting . They arrested him and his friend . They searched him and saw $ 10 ,000 on him and concluded he was an armed robber .
“ My son refused to let them take the money , he fought them . So, when they got to Awkuzu SARS , they killed him.
“ When I went to see him after his friend who was smuggled out told me of it , James Nwafor ( SARS boss ) told his men to lock me up that I was a father to an armed robber . Some prominent people intervened and they released me . They later told me to drop money so they can be feeding my son , and they collected N 400 , 000 from me , knowing full well that they had killed my son ,” Adimachukwu said .
Another petitioner , Austin Akabuike told the panel that SARS killed his younger brother , Mr Ekene Akabuike , a final – year student of Statistics of Nnamdi Azikiwe University in 2004 .
Akabuike said the killing of his younger brother caused the death of his mothers .
He said , “ On June 3 rd , 2004 , they picked my brother in his room and we were told they would arraign him the next day , but they killed him and told us that he had been wasted .
He told the panel he was seeking for N 100m compensation over the loss .
The matter was adjourned for further hearing to Tuesday next week .
