From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

For Clement Garuba, 70, and the fifth ranking chief in the cabinet of His Royal Highness, Oba Abiodun Agbaje of Ekpesa Community, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, life is a living hell since he lost his sight to police teargas in January 13, 2020.

Chief Garuba, who spoke to Daily Sun shortly after he and his fellow chiefs appeared before the Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of SARS and related abuses, said the police came in a commando style, teargassed them when they were in a meeting discussing the way forward for the community adding that since that day, he has remained blinded.

“When we were discussing village matter, with the youth, the elders, suddenly, police just came into the meeting, shot teargas into my eyes.

“The police did not only teargassed me, he took me and my fellow chiefs to the station and detained us for three days”, he said.

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He said he has lost everything including his farm and that he is finding it difficult to cope with life.

“Before the incidents, I was seeing with my two eyes, going to the farm and taking care of my nine children and my wife but now, I can’t. I am suffering deeply.

“The farm I cultivated before the police blinded my eyes with their teargas, I couldn’t harvest them, they were left at the mercies of thieves”, he narrated.

He said he decided to approach the panel for compensation and for it (panel) to invite the said police officers who detained him and his fellow chiefs, made him go blind to come and face the full wrath of the law.