From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Two petitioners before the Kwara State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on #EndSARS protest, in Ilorin yesterday, narrated how they were tortured and humiliated by men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
The petitioners, Alhaji Kehinde Gobir and Alhaji Shuaib Jawando, who accused the SARS officers of alleged high depth of impunity and human rights abuses, said they were arrested for alleged involvement in April 5, 2018 Offa robbery incident.
The people, who said they spent over 73 days in police detention in both Ilorin and Abuja, added that the police accused them of collecting guns from the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to allegedly participate in the robbery operation.
The petitioners, who denied being used by Saraki for criminal activities, told the panel that they were tortured and subjected to dehumanizing conditions in both Ilorin and Abuja police detentions.
They said they were only political supporters of the former senate president, adding that the police threatened them to implicate Saraki during their alleged ordeal in detention.
The petitioners also accused the disbanded SARS officers of confiscating their property, which include two Toyota Corolla, handsets and collected N250,000 before they were granted bail.
They also urged the panel to help them redeem their battered image in the eyes of the public as they had been subjected to unwarranted stigmatisation and disgrace, which they said had affected their livelihood and economic fortune.