A petitioner before the Independent Investigative Panel on allegations of human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti – Robbery Squad (SARS) and other units of the Nigerian Police, Mrs Mercy Patrick, on Monday, narrated how the remains of her husband went missing at the mortuary.
Alleging that her husband was killed by the police in 2012, the panel was told how her ordeal was compounded when she got to the Abuja Specialist Hospital in Gwagwalada for confirmation, only to be told that her husband’s remains was not in the mortuary, though the name of the deceased was on the entry list of the mortuary’s diary.
Mrs Patrick, a food vendor, narrated before the panel that her husband, Patrick Oche, informed her on the 20th of November 2012, that he was travelling to Benue for a burial and later in the day, when she tried several times to find out if he had gotten to his destination, the line was switched off.
Testifying before Justice Suleiman Galadima, Mercy stated that she received a call on the 22nd of November,2021 that her husband has been killed by SARS along Masaka, a suburb between FCT and Nasarawa state on the allegation that he is a “one chance” member and the body has been deposited at the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.
Mercy Patrick, following the lead of the panel Counsel, Pwadumdi Okoh, informed the panel that when all efforts to locate and identify the body of her husband proved abortive, she therefore took her complaints to ‘Berekete” a reality radio platform, focused on investigative journalism, to take up the case on her behalf.
Continuing her narration, Mercy Patrick, alleged that Ahmad Isa, the founder of Berekete assigned journalists, lawyers and with the assistance of policemen to follow her to the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital to ascertain the whereabouts of the corpse. On getting to the mortuary, the name Patrick Oche, was listed in the entry diary of the mortuary but the body was nowhere to be found.
Further questioning by Barr. Okoh revealed that her husband’s car, a red Toyota Camry with number plate CC300AKD was impounded by the police and has since been taken to SARS office in Abattoir, Garki.
On the identity of the lawyers who followed her to the mortuary, she mentioned Barrister Echefule, Barrister Agbolahan and Barrister Maxwell Opara.
Her prayers before the panel are for the release of the corpse to the family for burial and compensation for the death of her husband. She is finding it difficult to take care of her children.
The Chairman ruled that the Chief Medical Director of the Specialist Hospital make available the entry diary from the mortuary from 20th to 22nd November, 2012.
Also Maxwell Opara be summoned to appear before the panel to tell the panel his findings when he accompanied Mercy Patrick on investigation.
The matter was adjourned to 2nd December,2021 for continuation of hearing.
