A petitioner before the Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police has pleaded with the panel to direct the police to release the body of her husband allegedly killed by them in 2012 for burial.
Mercy Patrick, a food vendor , narrated before the panel that her husband, Patrick Oche , informed her on the 20th of November 2012, that he was travelling to Benue for a burial and later in the day, when she tried several times to find out if he had gotten to his destination, the line was switched off.
Testifying before the Justice Suleiman Galadimaled panel, Mrs. Patrick stated that she received a call on the 22nd of November,2021 that her husband was alleged to be a member of ‘one chance” and has been killed by SARS along Masaka, a suburb between FCT and Nasarawa state. She added that she was also later informed that the body has been deposited at the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.
Mercy Patrick, who was being led by the panel Counsel, Barr. Pwadumdi Okoh, informed the panel that when all efforts to locate and identify the body of her husband proved abortive, she took her complaints to ‘Berekete family” (a reality radio platform, focused on investigative journalism), to take up the case on her behalf.
Continuing her narration, Mercy Patrick, alleged that Ahmad Isa, the founder of Berekete family assigned journalists, lawyers and with the assistance of some policemen to follow her to the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital on the whereabouts of the deceased. On getting to the mortuary, they were informed that there was no corpse with the name Patrick Oche, but his name was listed in the entry diary of the mortuary.
Further questioning by Barr. Okoh revealed that her husband’s car,a red Toyota Camry with number plate CC300AKD was impounded by the police and has since been taken to SARS office in Abbatoir, Garki.
On the identity of the lawyers who followed her to the mortuary, she mentioned Barrister Echefule, Barrister Agbolahun and Barrister Maxwell Opara.
Her prayer before the panel is for the release of the corpse and to get compensation for the death of her husband as the death of her husband made it difficult for her to take care of the family he left behind.
The Chairman ruled that the Chief Medical Director of the Specialist Hospital make available the entry diary from the mortuary from 20th to 22nd November,2012.
Also Maxwell Opara be summoned to appear before the panel to tell the panel about his findings when he accompanied Mercy Patrick on investigation.
The matter was adjourned to December 2nd , 2021 for continuation of hearing.
Woman seeks compensation, release of husband’s corpse killed 9 years ago
