The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct (SARS), on Monday, issued a warrant of arrest on the Commissioner of Police in charge of Legal Services at the Force Headquarters, CP Ogbeh Ochogwu, in respect of the alleged enforced disappearance and unlawful arrest and detention of one John Emeka Alozie by the Force since June 25, 2017.

CP Ochogwu was on several occasions ordered to appear before the Panel with the case file of the victim, Alozie, but has refused to honor the order of the Panel despite adjourning the petitions five times. Therefore, the Chairman of the Panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd.), issued the arrest warrant after describing the attitude of CP as unbecoming of a lawyer and Officer of the Police Force.

According to the Jurist, the only option left for the Panel is to issue a warrant of arrest on the CP legal and mandate the National Human Rights Commission to write to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) to report Ochogwu’s conduct.

The Chairman asserted that the CP had flagrantly and repeatedly disobeyed the order of the Panel, having refused to turn in the said case file to enable the Panel to unravel the truth about the whereabouts of Mr. Alozie following the law.

It would be recalled that Mr. Alozie’s wife told the Panel that a High Court had ordered the Police to release the victim, and the order was disregarded to date.

The Panel adjourned the petition until April 27, 2022, for a progress report.

Similarly, the Panel has also issued an arrest warrant for Inspector, Shunku Terhermber of Bwari Police Station FCT in respect of his alleged involvement in the unlawful arrest, detention and seizure of property belonging to one Michael Uzoagba.

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