A panel has issued a warrant of arrest on the commissioner of police (legal services, Force Headquarters), CP Igbeh Ochogwu, regarding the alleged unlawful arrest and disappearance of John Alozie since June 25, 2017.

The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other units of the Nigeria Police on Monday is investigating alleged violations of human rights.

The police commissioner was on several occasions ordered to appear before the panel with Mr Alozie’s case file, but he had so far refused to honour the summons.

The panel chairman, retired Justice Suleiman Galadima, who issued the arrest warrant, described Mr Ochogwu’s attitude as unbecoming of a lawyer and police officer.

”The only option left for the panel is to issue a warrant of arrest on the CP Legal and mandate the National Human Rights Commission to write to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee to report Ochogwu’s conduct,” noted Mr Galadima.

“The CP has flagrantly and repeatedly disobeyed the order of the panel, having refused to turn in the said case file to enable the panel to unravel the truth about the whereabouts of Alozie in accordance with the law,” he added.

Mr Galadima adjourned the petition until Wednesday for a progress report.

The victim’s wife, Alozie Nnnena, alleged arbitrary arrest, enforced disappearance and detention of her husband by the police in a petition marked 2020/IIp-SARS/ABJ/73.

The respondents in the matter are ASP M.Obiozor of the defunct SARS Awkuzu, Anambra; Uzi Emeana; Sunday Okpe, Anambra police commissioner and the inspector general of police.

Ms Alozie, in her testimony, said her husband’s case was heard in a high court and judgment delivered. She added that the court ordered the police to release the victim and his property seized.

According to her, the police refused to obey the court’s order, which prompted her to file this petition before the panel.

In her testimony on December 2, 2021, she alleged that six SARS operatives stormed their residence in Lekki, Lagos, on June 15, 2017, and whisked her husband away.

She narrated that she later got to know that her husband was arrested for alleged kidnapping.

“Since the day they arrested my husband, I have not seen him, and I don’t know his whereabouts. After the SARS operatives arrested my husband, they ransacked our bedroom and went away with some of our personal belongings, which include certificates and other documents, money, a Lexus and a Ford, parked in our house,” she said.

On December 15, 2021, the panel summoned Ochogu to appear, but he failed to do so.

The panel also, on March 8, ordered Ochogwu to appear before it with the case file of Mr Alozie.