A petitioner has asked the Judicial Commission of Inquiry to order the release of youths arrested on January 17, 2020, or that police should pay compensation if they were dead.
Testifying before the commission, the petitioner, Chief Benneth Dokubo, said that the youths numbering two were arrested alongside others early this year.
He said the people of Bille Kingdom were at a meeting with Secretary to State Government when they were told youths of Bille Kingdom and Krakrama Community were fighting.
The petitioner, a traditional ruler, said that the meeting was over an issue between Bille Kingdom and Krakrama community.
He said when they came out from the meeting the police were already making arrests, saying that the youths, Tamunotonye Dein and Endurance Johnson, were among those arrested.
He said that he last saw them on January 17, 2020 and asked the commission to order their release or that the police should pay compensation of fifty million naira (N50m) to each of the families if they were dead.
The petitioner said that they were in good health when he last saw them.
He also asked for compensation of five million naira (N5m) for two other youths, Oguru Diri and Brown Brenner, who were allegedly brutally wounded.
The petitioner said the compensation would be for their family’s upkeep.
He tendered documents which were admitted as exhibits and was cross-examined by the police counsel, C.M. Dickson.
Under cross-examination, the petitioner had refuted the counsel when he said that the two youths must have been carried away by rival cult group.
He also said although he was not at the scene, he was around when the police were making arrests.
Also under cross-examination, he said he had organized news conference but disagreed with the counsel who said that it was to slight the image of the police.
The petitioner said that they visited different police locations to try to know where the youths were detained.
The police counsel however said they would call witnesses over the case.
The matter was adjourned to December 29 for defence.
