suspects have accused the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Rivers State Police Command of infringing on the fundamental human rights of their relatives.
The relatives of the suspects specifically said that they (suspects) were stooling and vomiting blood.
The relations also demanded that their relatives be taken to court for the sake of justice, instead of being detained without trial.
The women who spoke with Southern
City News on Friday in Port Harcourt
stated that the police had refused every form of treatment for the suspects in the cell.
They cried out that the health conditions of the suspects were getting worse, alleging that the police refused them access to any form of treatment.
It was learnt that Mr. Alali Tamuno-Ene, Da-Obufia Isokariari, Joseph Sokari and three others suspects, who hail from Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state were arrested by SARS in their different homes in Port Harcourt.
It was also gathered that after the
detention, the police had not allowed any relation to see the suspects.
Speaking, the mother of one of the
suspects, Mrs. Inye Braide, said the police arrested her son without disclosing his crime.
Braide claimed that her son was
innocent of any offence for which he was arrested, pleading that he be allowed medical treatment.
Braide stated that the police had
tortured her son to admit to the
allegation against him, which he did not commit.
She alleged that her son was writhing in pain due to torture, calling on the
Inspector General of Police and the state government to intervene.
According to her, "My son was sleeping in his room when SARS came and arrested him. I received a call around 5am that my son had been arrested without offence.
"Since then, we have been going there, but they don't want us to see him. I am begging them to release my son. He does not know anything. I brought them up without a husband.
"If they don't want to release him, they should please take him to court. They don't want to tell me the offence he has committed. They don't also want us to give him food."
Similarly, the elder sister to one of the suspects, Miss Tamuno Tonye, said her family would not take it lightly should her brother die in detention.
Tonye said, "Already my brother is
vomiting blood due to the wounds he
sustained from torture and beating in
police cell.
"Ever since, we have been trying to reach the police to know what their offences are, but they said we should not come. We want the police to charge them to court.
"My small brother is vomiting and
stooling blood, yet they don't want us to give him drugs. His health is important to us. He is innocent; we are calling on the general public and the Inspector General of Police to assist us and order for thorough investigation into the matter."
However, a lawyer, Mr. Innocent Naador of Igweonwu Chambers said the act ofSARS detaining a suspect and not allowing him treatment in his ailing condition was an infringement on his right to life.
Naador threatened a legal action against SARS for unlawful arrest, detention and torture if it failed to charge the suspects to court later than three days.
"We have visited the police station and met with the investigating police officer who assured us that our clients were held and detained.
"They are vomiting and stooling blood from injuries sustained from torture and beating. We want the police to charge them to court or have us to contend with.
"They were not involved in any crime. However, all efforts to make the police to release them have failed.
"Their fundamental human rights have been completely bastardized and the constitution is not respected by those who are supposed to uphold the law,"
Naador added. Reacting, the Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Police Command, Mr. Ahmad Muhammad, disagreed with lawyer and relatives of the suspects,
stating that the suspects were not
subjected to torture.
Muhammad said, "The people are being economical with the truth on the circumstances surrounding the arrest of the duo.
"Torture is discouraged by the force and officers who are found wanting of the infraction are sanctioned. They are atliberty to complain to higher police authority and it will be looked into."
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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