Chima and his apprentices, Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji and Ifeanyi Onyekwere were arrested for driving against traffic and tortured at Mile 1 Police Station by SP Benson Adetuyi.
Chima Ikwunado, a mechanic arbitrarily arrested, detained, extorted and tortured to death by men of the Nigerian Police Force in Rivers State, has been found innocent after the police said it couldn't prove a case against the deceased and three others.
Chima and his apprentices, Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji and Ifeanyi Onyekwere were arrested for driving against traffic and tortured at Mile 1 Police Station by SP Benson Adetuyi.
At the point of arrest, the policemen took N93,000 found on Chima and remanded him on allegations of car theft.
In detention, he alongside others were tortured in the most brutal manner in spite a confirmation by owner of the vehicle that the car had not been stolen and that Chima was his mechanic only taking the car for a test run after routine repair.
SaharaReporters gathered that the owner of the vehicle was then coerced into stating that the car was indeed stolen to which he refused until he involved a senior officer in the Nigerian Air Force, who proved that he was the owner of the car.
A day after the car owner was let go, the men were charged to court on allegations of robbery and cult violence.
The police in a bid to cover up Chima's killing as a result of torture, declared him to be 'at large'.
On Wednesday however, the Nigerian Police Force failed to prove before the Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt the case of theft and cult violence brought against late Chima and others.
The magistrate ordered the release of the four men after finding no case against them.
The men had sores and infection all over their body as a result of the ill treatment they received in detention.
Chima is survived by a five-month pregnant wife.