- Solicits help from panel
Two witnesses listed in the case of alleged enforced disappearance made known their desire to return home with their missing family members.
The first witness, Mr Ismail Ambrose Mairungu, made this known while testifying before the Independent Investigative panel on defunct SARS on behalf of his two younger brothers, Yakubu Danjuma and Ibrahim Daniel.
Narrating the events leading to his brothers disappearance, Ambrose informed the panel that on December 13th 2019, Danjuma Yakubu, a serving police officer at Jada, in Adamawa state left his station to Jos Plateau State inorder to visit his family.
Ambrose stated that while on transit, his brother branched by the mechanic site to fix his car, there he called his wife informing her that he was on his way home.
Ambrose however told the panel that from the moment his brother called his wife till date, he has neither been seen nor heard from.
Worried by the fact that his brother suddenly could not be reached, Ambrose said he travelled to his brother's office in Jada, on the third day where he met with the commandant, seeking to know what had become of him.
According to the witness, the commandant, Nigeria Police Jada, Adamawa State, informed him that Yakubu Danjuma had indeed sought and obtained permission to visit his family, he however added that efforts by him to contact Danjuma since he travelled had proved abortive as he could not be reached on phone.
"Thereafter, I went to police headquarters Yola, where I was told, my brother was arrested, but nobody could tell me who arrested him" said the petitioner.
Ambrose further stated that, he however got information that his brothers were arrested by the IGP IRT.
Continuing, Ambrose said, on 17th December 2019, the victim called his wife informing her that himself, his younger brother (Ibrahim Daniel) and one Choji Dung had been arrested by the Police.
"On January 13th 2020, I met DCP Abba Kyari in Abuja and complained about my missing brothers, he asked for their names, then gave me a telephone number to call his Personal Assistant, the PA however rejected my calls" Mr. Ambrose lamented.
In addition to his desire to see and return home with his brothers, Ambrose is requesting the sum of Ten Million Naira compensation for each of his two brothers over their disappearance.
In the same vein, Mrs. Blessing Choji Dung (wife to Choji Dung) the third victim listed alongside Yakubu Danjuma and Ibrahim Daniel, recounted before the panel all what she witnessed.
Mrs. Dung told the panel that on the 17th December 2019, her husband received a phone call from his friend, Yakubu Danjuma asking that they meet outside the house.
"I followed my husband from behind as he went outside the house, I sighted two tinted vehicles with IRT written on them" Mrs. Dung stated.
Further in her testimony, Mrs. Dung stated that she saw armed police officers who came out from the vehicles and accosted her husband, they handcuffed him, shot in the air and drove off with him.
The witness said she reported the matter to the Police, but was told, the team that arrested her husband were from Abuja.
Like the first witness, Mrs. Dung is also asking for the unconditional release of her husband as she maintains she wants to take him back with her to Jos Plateau State.
She is also praying the panel to award her compensation in the sum of Ten Million Naira only.
Dr. Garba Tetengi SAN, representative of Chairman of the panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima rtd, lamented the absence of the Police legal team at the panel who would have cross examined the witnesses.
Notwithstanding the conspicuous absence of Counsel to the police, Dr. Garba Tetengi SAN adjourned the matter to March 8, 2022 to avail police the opportunity to cross examine the witnesses.
