By Our Reporter
A witness, Mr. Ndam Tokbe testifying before the Independent Investigative panel on Human Rights Violation by the Defunct SARS and other Units of the Nigerian Police Force, Thursday told the IIP-SARS that Maxwell Dul who was extra judicially killed was a police officer.
Tokbe who was led in evidence by DG Dashe, a complainant and counsel in the matter, narrated how it all happened on that fateful day.
According to the witness, sometime in February 2019 while in his office at Apapa in Lagos, he received a call that Maxwell was arrested and was told to come to the police station at the Railway for more details .On reaching the station , he (Tokbe) was informed by Maxwell’s colleagues that Maxwell was arrested the previous day.
Furthermore, the witness said he was told by the officers that Maxwell was hit by a motor cyclist who was riding his bike on one way, and he insisted on arresting the bike man and taking him to the police station for breaking traffic rules.
On the other hand the witness narrated that the bike man raised an alarm that Maxwell wanted to collect his bike and this attracted the attention of the public.
Meanwhile, the witness told the panel that Maxwell was taken to Denton Police station upon his arrest and he went there in the company of other police officers who are his colleagues to identify him.
“But after staying the whole day they were not allowed to see him. They left to return the next day and upon returning the next day, they were told the case has been transferred to SARS in Ikeja”, the witness stated.
According to him, when they returned the next day they were told at SARS that Maxwell was dead.
According to the witness, when they asked for his corpse they were told that it had been deposited at mainland hospital, Yaba, Lagos state and the case file transferred to Panti, Lagos for further investigation. He said the police asked him to mobilise them for the case to be reopened. At Panti, the witness said they asked for the corpse and were told he is an armed robber therefore the government will bury the corpse.
However, the witness said after much ado, the police gave him a written letter stamped with the deceased photograph and he used it to identify the corpse at the hospital.
Tkobe said he did identify that it was indeed Maxwell but he said he noticed bruises on the body and one of his eyes was opened the other closed which he said was as result of torture.
Also testifying before the panel, the deceased sistern, Maryamu Maxwell told the panel that she was told by her uncle that Maxwell her brother is dead.
According to her she quickly called Mr. Ndam Tkobe and DG Dashe Esq to confirm the news.
Leading her in evidence, Mr. Dashe said she brought out an identity card with photograph to show that the deceased was indeed a police officer, which he, as the counsel tendered to the panel as an exhibit.
Chairman of the panel who was represented by Garba Tetengi SAN directed the police to produce all the respondents in the matter to enable the panel to unravel the truth.
Meanwhile the police have asked for an adjournment to enable them open defense and the matter was adjourned till 1st of December 2021.
