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RULAAC Petitions IGP Over Disappearance Of Truck Driver, Tariuwa Kingsley, Arrested By SARS In PortHarcourt

July 31, 2020

Another person who witnessed Kingsley’s arrest quickly alerted his brother. The victim has not met his family and the officers who arrested him have been unable to account for his whereabouts

A human rights group, the Rule of Law And Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), has petitioned the Inspector General of Police to intervene in the case of a 33-year-old man, Kingsley Tariuwa, arrested by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in PortHarcourt.

The police unit arrested Tariuwa on January 5 at a popular night club, Boss Lounge, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

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Okechukwu Nwanguma, the Executive Director of RULAAC, called on the IGP to ensure that the case is exhaustively and impartially investigated to identify all the SARS operatives responsible for the arrest and disappearance of Tariuwa.

The petition reads, "RULAAC was informed that the SARS operatives arrived at Boss Lounge at about 8 pm on January 5, 2020. They were cleared by a Mobile Police Officer, identified as Elisha Hassan, who was in charge of security at the lounge on the day Tariuwa Kingsley was arrested.

"Another person who witnessed Kingsley’s arrest quickly alerted his brother. The victim has not met his family and the officers who arrested him have been unable to account for his whereabouts.[story_link align="left"]83627[/story_link]

"The police in Rivers State have also refused to comply with a Rivers State High Court order to release him or produce him in court.

"Tariuwa Kingsley is married and has a five months old baby as at the time he was arrested. The baby will be one-year-old by the end of July 2020.

"RULAAC finds this story so depressing. We are appalled at the temerity and sense of impunity by the SARS officer in saying that they have 'travelled' a young man just hours after they arrested him without any resistance and without him being charged to court for any known offence. And the SARS officer said so without the slightest compunction, exuding confidence that nothing will happen.

"We wonder how many more such cases occur with less articulate relatives to press their case.”