The Katsina State Commission of Inquiry, investigating the excesses of the Police Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS, has held its inaugural sitting and public hearing in all the 3 senatorial zones of the state.
The Chairman of the commission, Justice Abbas Bawale, during the sitting held at the Funtua High Court, said that the Zone has the highest number of petitions, totalling 56, to be dealt with within a period of 3 consecutive days, before moving to the remaining 2 zones.
At the inaugural sitting, two separate petitions were brought forward by Namadina Jabiri a farmer and Muhammadu Buda, a herder. Their Petitions centred on defamation of character, extortion of money and unlawful detention, involving one ex SARS officer, to the tune of over half a million Naira.
According to one of the petitioners, Namadina Jabiri, their ordeal began on the 29th of June, when his cows were rustled from his home town, for which he paid some ransom to get them back, after communicating with the rustlers.
He added that while in search of the remaining cows, 7 were found in Niger State, which he reported to the police, but was told they were sold by the DPO of Funtua Station. Jabiri further alleged that, after he collected the cows and brought them back, the said SARS officer, brought some men to arrest him, but he was not around hence they took away his only younger brother into custody, suspecting them to be rustlers.
He later went to the station to clear himself, but was taken into custody alongside his brother by the officer and were later taken to Kaduna after paying a bribe of 150,000 Naira, demanded to bail his brother, following pleas from their aged mother.
Jabiri alleged that he and the second petitioner, Buda, spent 16 days in unlawful detention at the Abattoir Police Station in Abuja, without trial or being charged to court. They were, however, set free by the DPO of the station after narrating their ordeal.
They both prayed the commission to thoroughly look into their petitions and do justice, by not only redeeming their lost image but also, refund the over 500,000 Naira spent while in the hands of the SARS personnel. Another petition was that of Sani Saadu, a car dealer.
He alleges that some SARS officers stormed his stand, suspecting that some stolen cars were part of the cars he put up for sale. He alleged that the SARS officers told him to pay N50,000 on each of the cars at the stand, and another 500,000 Naira as bail for all his workers arrested at the stand, to avoid being shut down.
Saadu also prayed the commission, to investigate thoroughly, with a view to getting justice and return all the monies spent during the bitter encounter.
The chairman of the panel, Justice Abbas Bawale, had earlier promised that the panel will perform its assignment with all sense of responsibility and in accordance with the terms of reference, as contained in the instrument constituting the commission. The commission has 8 weeks to submit its report.