A petitioner has alleged that his cousin, Philip Brown, was tortured to death by police and vigilantes on September 7, 2020.
The petitioner Tamunosisi Brown who was cross-examined at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry alleged that policemen from E-Crack had killed his cousin.
He earlier adopted the memorandum he sent to the commission and tendered exhibits which were admitted as evidence.
Speaking with reporters, the petitioner said he was at the commission over the death of his cousin, saying he died in the hands of the police while he was tortured.
The petitioner also alleged that he was tortured to death by the police and vigilantes.
He said his cousin was arrested in Diobu when the head of a vigilante group came with policemen attached to the E-Crack Unit.
The petitioner said the police tortured him and threw him inside the boot of their car and took him to their station where they continued torturing him till he died.
He said the head of the vigilante group came with the officers of the E-Crack team to get an AK47 rifle got from bandits who had attacked the area on September 6, 2020.
He said the youths resisted them and had got the rifle and also refused to hand it over to the head of the vigilante group.
He said his cousin was unaware that the incident took place when head of the vigilante group came with the policemen the next day.
The petitioner said his cousin was unaware and did not run when the police came, saying they had arrested and tortured him and continued the torture in their station till he died.
He said that he wants justice and also wants the police to produce the body of his cousin.
The petitioner also said he wants those involved to be arrested and prosecuted.
He also said the family should be paid fifty million naira (N50m) compensation even though it would not bring back his life.
The petitioner said: “I’m at the commission for the death of my younger cousin. He died in the hands of the police. The police (were) hitting him with gun, hammer, chisel and all that. They threw him into the boot of their car and took him to Mile I Police Station and continued the torturing where he died in the hands of the police”.
There was no re-examination after the petitioner was cross-examined by the counsel to the Commissioner of Police.
The matter was fixed for conference by Chairman of the commission, Honourable Justice C.I. Uriri (retd).
