Police Brutality: Shocking revelation on how police, prison officials conspired to detain suspects for 8 years without charge, trial
It was tales of tears and shocking revelation yesterday at the ongoing Judicial Panel investigating incidences of police brutality and human rights violation in Akwa Ibom State, when a victim, Mr Elijah Effiong Friday told the Panel how he was arrested by the police on allegations of being an armed robber and then detained for eight years without being charged or arraigned in court for trial.
Friday, a mechanic apprentice was arrested by the police in his house in Idung Udo village at about 6am on January 24, 2004, on an allegations that he was an armed robber.
He was first detained at Eket Police Division and then transferred to State Command Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia where he spent two years in police cell.
Seeing that the suspect has spent two years in their facility, the police rather arraigned him in court, wrote to the State Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP that minuted for his arraignment. But rather than taking to court before being remanded in prison custody, Friday was taking directly to the prison by one Inspector Callistus Augustine with the surname Friday missing in police charge sheet.
Abandoned to his fate, the victim spent another six years in prison custody without being taken to court for once for arraignment or trial even when the prison officials knew that such a person was in their custody.
Sadly, the victim lost his sight while in prison custody and his legs paralyzed due to long confinement.
Respite however came his way when the then State Chief Judge, Justice Ntem Isua visited the prison and those to be granted pardon was listed and his case was mentioned. When his case file was called, it was no way to be found which prompted more questions to be raised and subsequent journey to his freedom in 2012.
Testifying in a witness box, the victim who had petitioned the Panel in petition no JPPB/MEMO/093, told the Panel in tears his excruciating experience in the hands of the police in an allegation he knew nothing about.
He said, ” the police came to my house around 6am and arrested me. I was first taken to Eket Police Division and later to the State Police Headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia where I was detained for two years. I was then moved to Uyo prison where I spent another six years without being taken to court for once. I lost my sight in the process and also got paralyzed on my legs”.
Collaborating the testimony of the victim, his mother who also entered the witness box, said that despite several appeal to the police, DPP and the prison officials, the case file was never found nor his son being arraigned in court.
Also testifying at the witness box, the State Director of DPP, Barr. Joseph Umoren said that the Directorate received a case file on August 3, 2005 bearing Elijah Friday from the police and advised accordingly.
While he tendered some documents to back his claim, he said that DPP never knew again what transpired that the victim was never arraigned in court.
On his part, the Assistant Comptroller of Uyo Correctional Center (Uyo Prison), Michael Ishadu said that one Inspector Callistus Augustine brother one Elijah Effiong to their facility on October 8, 2006 with a remand order from a vacation court.
He said that Elijah Effiong was in their custody till March 4, 2010 where he was transferred to Eket Prison for continuation of his trial. He tendered some documents to back his claim.
He said that the prison officials could not act on the victim’s case because there was disparity on the name and the officials did not find out why he was there for so long without tial.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned to December 16 for continuation of hearing while summon has been issued on Inspector Callistus Augustine to appear before the Panel.
