AN Onitsha based businessman, Mr. Obiora Akabike, has accused the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of killing and seizing the corpse of his younger brother, Mr. Ekene Augustine Akabike.
Hailed from Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, late Ekene, a 24 year old final year student of Statistics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, was arrested in 2004 when the SARS allegedly came to arrest one Master Chinedu.
“I am living at Nkpor in Onitsha. They didn’t tell me why he was arrested. I demanded to see him.
“And they told me ‘we have wasted the young man.’ When I demanded to see his corpse, they refused to release it to me till date.
“We have to conduct a funeral for him after waiting without reply from SARS. Here is the condolence register signed by sympathisers.”
“After a source confided to the family that Ekene died under SARS custody on 3rd June 2004, we in accordance with custom of Igbo land, printed posters and conducted his funeral rite on July 2004 although his corpse was not found.”
He added that the death of Ekene, who according to him was their last child, caused their mother an undisclosed ailment which equally led to her untimely death.
BY SUNNY A. DAVID
