Akwa Ibom panel summons police chief over abuse, extortion

Akwa Ibom State judicial panel of inquiry on police brutality has summoned the leader of the disbanded Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari, over alleged abuse, extortion and false accusation by one Maxwell George Edum.

Edum, a car dealer, told the panel yesterday how a team of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the instance of Kyari, led by one Inspector Friday, whose operational code is Mad Dog invaded his car stand on Eket-Oron Road in Eket and impounded a Toyota Hilux and Tundra truck.

He said the team also arrested his staff, Sampson Etukudo and took him with the vehicles to a police station in Umuahia, Abia State where he was detained for allegedly buying stolen vehicles.

He said during the period, he was at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Enugu for heart surgery, but directed his lawyers, Onyeama Onyeama and Associates to follow up the matter as he presented documents of the vehicles.

“My lawyers traced them to a police station in Abia State and demanded the release of my staff and the two vehicles after presenting the documents, but Mad Dog asked for N500, 000 to release Sampson and withheld the vehicles. But my lawyers refused to negotiate payment with them and went to court.

“When they returned to Eket without Sampson, his family became apprehensive because of the inhuman treatment meted on him in police custody, saying they would hold me responsible if anything happened to their son.

“One of the lawyers, Udoanwan Sambo, was later sent to Abia State, but Mad Dog insisted on the payment of N100, 000 for Sampson’s release and another N200, 000 for the release of the vehicles. I was forced to pay the first N100, 000 for Sampson’s release. I later sent N170, 000 through Sambo’s account, who in turn transferred the money to an account nominated by Friday with the name Chigbo Esther,” he stated.

Edum added that Mad Dog, who was angry at the ‘underpayment,’ directed that the vehicles should not be released, adding that he went back for his cancer therapy at UNTH Enugu that period and could not leave the hospital because the doctors cautioned him against such move.

The petitioner said he was discharged from the hospital and on April 24, 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown, Friday invaded his home, broke his protectors and dragged him like a common criminal, saying he had to call the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Eket Division, who intervened in the matter.

After his account, Chairman of the panel, Justice Ukana, ordered Kyari to appear before the panel and adjourned the matter to February 9, 2021.