‘SARS killed my husband over N200 airtime’ — Widow recounts ordeal with police

Adebimpe Sobowale, a widow, has alleged that her husband was killed over N200 worth of airtime while in police custody.

The widow narrated her experience in detention when she appeared before the state judicial panel of enquiry sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun state, on Tuesday.

She said operatives of the special anti-robbery squad (SARS), a disbanded unit of the Nigeria Police Force, tortured and detained her for four days despite being pregnant.

Sobowale said the SARS operatives arrested her on February 8, 2020, on the allegation that she belonged to a group of gangsters as her SIM card was used to fraudulently obtain an airtime worth of N200.

The widow said she was later released four days after her arrest, while her husband was arrested and subsequently killed in detention.

“They (police) asked me to write whatever they dictated to me as a statement. They said I belonged to a gang of fraudsters and claimed that my SIM card was used to collect N200 recharge (card),” she narrated.

“They said they tracked it at Zain (now Airtel) office and it brought my picture. I told them I don’t know what they were talking about and I refused to implicate myself in the statement.

“They arrested my husband on February 10 and released me the next day. Some days later, I was informed that my husband had died in detention.”

On the identity of the officers involved, Sobowale said, “they were three SARS operatives but I can only identify two by face and one of them is called Inspector Apiah Moses”.

She said the death of her husband has made things difficult for the family.

Ojo Friday, Sobowale’s witness, also testified before the panel, saying he was the one who secured the victim’s bail.

The case was adjourned till February 4 for further proceedings.