Five man operatives, of the special anti robbery squad has been found guilty by a High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, of extrajudicial killing of two friends.
The SARS operatives were led by one Samuel Chigbu while the victims of extrajudicial killing were Michael Akor and Michael Igwe in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
Michael Akor (28) and his friend, Michael Igwe , were said to have been arrested while going about their businesses on June 22 , 2009 by the security agents, who eventually killed them in a bush in Oyigbo the next day.
Apart from finding the SARS operatives guilty, the court ordered the Nigeria Police to pay a N50 million compensation to the families of the victims.
The judge, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, gave the order in an enforcement of fundamental human rights suit that was brought before the court, even as he asserted that ASP Chigbu and his men intentionally killed the two men.
Justice Enebeli noted that no investigation or trial was carried out by the security agents before shooting and killing the two young graduates, adding that their action was contrary to some sections of the Constitution.
Explaining that the alibi that the deceased were hit by bullets during a crossfire between the police and a group of hoodlums were not substantiated, the judge insisted that it was not a coincidence that the two victims were shot at the same part of their bodies.
The judge added that victims of extrajudicial killing died at Briathwaite Memorial Hospital and buried at the same place and at a similar time.
He specifically said that SARS in the state had acquired the notoriety of extra judicial killings, adding that this was destroying the image of the State Police Command.
It will be recalled that Chigbu and four other erring SARS operatives had since been dismissed from the Police Force after the incident.
Punch