The police during the sitting of Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Tuesday said a petitioner, Nzube Obiechina who lost her two-month pregnancy in police detention is a sister to an alleged notorious kidnapper, Evans.
During cross-examination, Legal Officer, Intelligence Response Team, Nosa Uhumwango picked faults in the testimony of Mrs Obiechina, saying there are contradictions in her statement and her testimonies.
Uhumwango said Obiechina who is a school teacher was arrested in 2017 because her phone number and that of her husband were allegedly used by the notorious alleged kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, to make contact with the family of a kidnap victim to collect $1million ransom.
The schoolteacher and her husband, Ogechukwu, had first appeared on October 31 before the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry probing cases of rights violations by men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad.
Obiechina had told the panel how she was arrested by SARS, detained, and tortured during which she lost her two-month pregnancy.
But during Tuesday’s (today) sitting, the police legal counsel informed the judicial panel that Obiechina was Evans’ sister.
See the conversation during the cross-examination below:
Legal Officer IRT: Do you know why you were arrested?
Obechina: No
Legal Officer IRT: Are you related to Evans’
Obiechina: Who is Evans?
Legal Officer IRT: The popular Evans.
Obiechina then asked for the full name of Evans and she was told. She, thereafter, admitted that the person identified as her brother. She also admitted the person was arrested for kidnapping.
While explaining the connection between Evans and the woman to the panel, the lawyer said, “Evans was arrested because of the invitation of Mrs Obiechina who led the (police) team to arrest Evans. It was her who led us to Evans. We kept her for five days and that was why we were able to arrest Evans.”
The lawyer, Uhumwango then asked Obiechina: “Are you aware that one Umeh Francis was kidnapped sometime in 2016 and a ransom of $1m was collected and the said Umeh reported the case to the police?”
In response, the schoolteacher said, “I am not aware.”
Uhumwango told the panel that the police traced three phone numbers used by Evans in the operation and collection of the $1m ransom and the phone numbers of the couple – Mr and Mrs Obiechina were two of the three numbers.
The panel later adjourned the case till December 8 for the adoption of summons.
Watch the full video of the panel of inquiry below…
