Corps Member’s Death: Panel joins Garki Hospital CMD as party

The National Human Rights Commission panel investigating allegations of human rights violations against the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) on Thursday in Abuja joined the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Garki General Hospital, Abuja as a necessary party in a petition before the panel.

The CMD was joined as a party in the petition filed by a woman, Chinenye Igwetu, on the alleged extra-judicial killing of her younger sister, Linda Igwetu.

The deceased was a member of the National Youths Service Corps as at the time of her death, allegedly caused by a police inspector, Benjamin Peters.

Ms Igwetu had listed Mr Peters, the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police as respondents in the petition.

On November 5, the petitioner told the panel that Mr Peters shot her younger sister on July 3, 2018, in Abuja, a day before her passing out from service.

She alleged that when the deceased was taken to the Garki General Hospital after being shot, the hospital refused to treat her, despite the fact that she lost much blood.

She added that the hospital insisted that she should get a male blood donor to donate blood for the deceased even though she, the petitioner, was ready to donate blood to her sister.

At the panel’s sitting on November 16, the panel summoned the CMD and the Registrar, Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, to appear before it on December 2, although the matter was not heard as scheduled.

On resumed hearing of the petition, the counsel to the police, James Idachaba, said Mr Peters was no longer a serving member of the police as he was dismissed over the case.

He noted that the police had arraigned the dismissed officer before the High Court of the FCT and that the case file was later submitted to the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution.

Counsel to the panel, Chino Obiagwu, applied that the CMD should be formally joined as a necessary party in the petition.

Mr Obiagwu added that the petitioner had raised certain allegations against the hospital.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice Suleiman Galadima, granted the application as prayed.

Following this, Mr Obiagwu sought an adjournment to enable the panel to regularise its records to reflect the CMD as a necessary party in the petition.

Mr Galadima, however, commended the CMD for honouring the panel’s summon by personally coming before it.

The panel chairman adjourned the matter until January 25 for continuation hearing.

(NAN)