The Edo State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for victims of SARS and related abuses has ordered the arrest of a retired policewoman, Carol Afegbai, for failing to appear before it to explain his alleged complicity in the murder of a 500 Level student of the University of Benin, Ibrahim Momodu.
The panel gave the order on Tuesday during its sitting on extrajudicial killings by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a unit of the Nigeria Police.
Momodu was killed close to his family house at 1, Igbobaewaye Street, Benin.
A member of the panel, A. B. Thomas, said Afegbai, who was the Divisional Police Officer of the Ogida Police Division when Momodu was killed, must appear before the panel.
Thomas said: “If she was not summoned by the High Court or the Court of Appeal, it is because she was not a party.
“It was state versus the man who pulled the trigger.
“But before us here, she has been mentioned and if we end the case without summoning her, it will seem she is above the law.”
In her ruling, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Ada Ehigiamusoe (retd), ordered the arrest of Afegbai.
Ehigiamusoe ruled: “The panel summoned the respondent to appear before this panel at today’s (Tuesday) proceedings and it is on record that she has failed to do so.
“It is of the view of this panel that the respondent, having failed to appear before the panel, a warrant of arrest should be issued for her to appear before the panel.
“It is hereby ordered that a warrant of arrest be issued forthwith on the said respondent who is named Carol Afegbai who shall appear before this panel following the order of this panel on December 9, 2020.”
