Tony Ikwunado, brother of Chima, a mechanic who was allegedly tortured to death by policemen, tells CHUKWUDI AKASIKE why the corpse of the father of one has remained in the mortuary for over three years, among other related issues
Your brother, Chima Ikwunado, was allegedly tortured to death by the police in 2019. How has his family been coping without the breadwinner since then?
It has not been easy with the family, and since my brother died, his corpse has been in the mortuary, and we couldn’t see him. The police are holding the corpse and they didn’t allow us to see his body. He has not been buried up till now and he has been lying in the mortuary since 2019. Nobody is happy. Even after getting the judgment, it cannot bring Chima Ikwunado back. No amount of money can bring Chima back to the family. So, nobody is happy about it. My father, my siblings, everybody around; nobody is happy with the way that boy died. Thank God for Daddy OPM, the (Omega Power Ministries) General Overseer (Pastor Chibuzor Chinyere); he is the one taking care of them.
Can you recall what led to your brother’s arrest by the police?
Somebody gave him a car to repair. The person said Chima had been his mechanic for four to five years. They (police) said that he (Chima) stole a vehicle. That allegation has been discovered to be wrong. Why couldn’t the policemen in charge of the matter investigate the matter and see if my brother was innocent. They (the police) did that (arrested Chima) because of the money they saw in his pocket. They took the whole money they saw in Chima’s pocket and that of his colleagues. This matter has been lingering since 2019. It has been over three years now.
Why have the police refused to release the corpse?
Not only Chima’s corpse; they have not released his property; his money, his ATM card, everything is still in their custody.
Have you met the police to ask them why they haven’t released his corpse and all that belong to him?
It’s the court that will give the permission. Now that the lawyer has asked for that (the permission), and I have gone to the (Rivers State) Commissioner of Police to submit all the necessary documents and they have signed them. So, anytime from now, we can go ahead with the burial. They will release the corpse and release everything that belongs to my brother.
It was reported that four officers were dismissed from the Nigerian Police Force on the matter. Apart from the dismissal of those four officers from the Nigerian Police Force, what is the current state of the case in court?
The legal matter is still going on because those involved in the matter are still being investigated. For over three years now, they are still interrogating how the matter happened. There were six policemen involved but they only brought four to us in court.
What do you want the government to do in that light?
The former commander, Eagle Crack Squad in Rivers State, should also be interrogated. Also, Inspector Sam should be investigated and interrogated on how my brother was tortured till he died.
Why are you calling for the interrogation of the former commander and Inspector Sam?
I have called for that because they are the head of the team. The (former) commander was the head of the team. Even when my dad and other people went to him (to secure the release of my brother), he chased them away, that was when Chima had not died.
Are you saying that he (ex-commander) has a hand in it?
Yes, he has a hand in it. He is the main boss. The other day in court, the four junior officers (who were dismissed) called and were begging me that it was their boss that made them to do that (torture my brother to death). I told them that they should have allowed Chima to go when I asked them to release him. They said that they took orders from the big boss. So, the big boss is supposed to come and answer his story.
What about Inspector Sam Amadi?
Yes, he was also involved in torturing Chima and hitting him with a stick and all that. He was among those that tortured Chima.
How will you describe your brother, Chima?
He was my younger brother. I thought him this job. I’m a mechanic by profession and I taught him the job, and he had been working very well.
Do you have the hope that justice will be served on the matter which has lasted for over three years?
Yes, Chima will get justice because the matter is an open one. The owners of the vehicles, which the police claimed he (Chima) are still alive.
What’s your view on how the case is being handled, especially, with the intervention of other lawyers and non-governmental organisations?
I really thank God and I thank all of those who intervened in the matter, especially, the Chairman of the Rivers State Civil Society Organisations (Enefaa Georgewill). The other people involved in the matter had received kickbacks that have made them compromise on the matter, but he (the chairman of Rivers CSOs) has stood his ground without wavering on the matter, and I thank him very well for that. I also thank the lawyers that are pushing this matter ahead.
What state are you from?
I am from Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State.
There were issues around your late brother’s autopsy. What was the result of the autopsy?
The autopsy revealed everything that he (Chima) was tortured and that’s why the second autopsy result was seized. As I said earlier, the police refused to give use the result. They only gave us fake result. They initially refused to give us the result but after the people mounted much pressure on them, they released one.
So, are you demanding that the second autopsy result should be brought out?
Well, that doesn’t bother me; they should do whatever they like to do with the second autopsy result, but this matter is an open one and the whole world can see it. There is no way policemen who killed my brother can suppress justice in this matter.
How is the father of the deceased coping with the sudden death of his son?
Of course, it’s affecting him; the man is ill and down. I keep trying my best and I also have my immediate family. Chima was the one taking care of our father before he died and for me. Now, the whole matter and responsibility has fallen on me and it’s affecting the entire family.
Before Chima’s death, were you aware of his aspirations and dreams?
Chima had a lot of plans and projects. He said after finishing his projects, he would like to travel abroad and I was in support of that, so that he would go and seek a better life, than what he had here.
You talked about the delay in delivering justice on the matter; it has been for three years or more. What suggestions do you have on that?
Sometimes, we go to court and the court will not sit. Sometimes, it will adjourn the matter till another time and so on. All these have continued and made the matter to linger for more than three years now.
What has been the position and reaction of your community to the matter, especially for the fact that their son has yet to be buried?
My community in Nwangele Local Government is not happy. They are requesting that his corpse should be brought home so that he will be buried first of all, while the judicial process takes its course. That’s why we plead with the court to do speed up the process so that we can take Chima’s remains to the village for burial.
What do you think can be done for his family to cushion their pains?
He had a baby boy before his death. What I think the government can do to that effect is to compensate his family by taking care of them and to sponsor his son to any level of education that he wants, so that the family can be relieved.
