Ifeanyi Onyekwere, one of the victims of alleged torture by Eagle Crack Unit, testified in court on Monday on how they were being treated.
Standing as prosecution witness, Mr Onyekwere told the court that they were arrested by operatives of Eagle Crack unit along Ikwerre Road after the police shot sporadically to threaten them.
Testifying before Honourable Justice Florence Fiberesima of Port-Harcourt High Court, the victim had said that Chima Ikwunado, who allegedly died from torture, and himself were brought out from detention on the second day of their arrest and allegedly tortured from 5am to 6pm.
He said that after the torture on December 21, 2019, Ikwunado had become seriously ill and had died in detention at the Eagle Crack unit.
The victim told the court that he sustained injuries on his right arm and thigh and foot and tendered pictures of the injuries as evidence in court.
However, counsels to the first and second and third and fourth defendants had urged the court not to admit the exhibits as evidence, but the prosecuting counsel, Chidi Ekeh, urged the court to admit as evidence exhibits tendered by the witness.
The defendants in the case Dayogu Fidelis and Eke Chibuzo and Egbunafu Felix and Sergeant Rose Georgewill were dismissed from the Nigeria Police Force before the inception of the trial.
They are being tried for allegedly torturing five Ikokwu mechanics that led to the death of one of the mechanics.
The death of Chima Ikwunado and the continued detention of the four others sparked social media outrage as people had called for their release and the prosecution of the officers.
The deceased victim and the four others were arrested in December by the police for allegedly driving against traffic and had been taken to the Mile One Police Station in Port-Harcourt.
The accused officers face five counts of murder and act with intent to maim, but had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The proceedings were stalled on October 20 when the defendants did not appear in court and the prosecution had asked for a date for the next hearing. It was however gathered that the defendants were not in court because of ongoing hashtag #EndSARS protests in the city of Port-Harcourt at the time.
Before adjourning to November 9 and 10, the presiding judge had said that the case would have accelerated hearing.
Hearing and testimony over the case continued on Tuesday, November 10.
