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How My Son ‘Disappeared’ Since He Was Arrested In 2011 – Customs Officer Tells Edo Panel

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Hon. Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe, Edo State Chairman of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on #EndSARS.
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Isaac Edoh, an operative of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), has told the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of human rights abuse by men of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, that he is yet to know the state of his son, whether dead or alive, since 2011.

Edoh who is from Benue state, made this claim on on Thursday, where he added that the last time he saw his son, Baba Edoh, was in the custody of the Edo state police command in 2011.

The Customs operative told the Edo panel that his son was an undergraduate of English Literature, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, before he was allegedly killed by the police.

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According to him, he received an anonymous call from the State Criminal Investigation Department of the state police command sometime in June 2011, that his son was arrested along Auchi road for alleged kidnapping.

The Customs operative said he immediately took permission from his superiors at the office in Lagos and rushed to Benin to see his son, but saw him lying in the pool of his blood, obviously from physical assault and inhuman treatment melted on him by the police operatives.

“I tried speaking with him, but was prevented by officers on duties, despite knowledge of the relationship between me and the suspect in their custody,” he said.

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Edoh said the following day, he visited the station and discovered that the name of his son was not on any of the records of the detainees in the cell.

“I immediately contacted the officer-in-charge of kidnapping section who informed me that my son was not in their custody. I was informed that he was one of the suspects paraded on a national television on June 4, 2011.

“I was told armed robbers attacked and shot my son, while the police was conducting further investigations in Auchi. None of the Police officers sustained injuries. The only person they said died was my son. Since his death, the police have refused to release the corps.

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“I later filed a suit in the high court for fundamental rights, and got judgement, but unfortunately the police appealed the case on the basis of identity conflict. The court of appeal urged us to return to the high court for retrial. Since then I have been demoralised, and don’t know whether he is alive or dead; all I want is justice,” he lamented.

Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (Rtd), who is the Chairman of the Panel, admitted a photograph of the son, Compact Disk (CD) of paraded suspects, and court proceedings as exhibits.

The Chairman of the Panel, adjourned the hearing on the case to Thursday, November 17, so as to get response from the police.