SARS torture made me lose two pregnancies – Teacher

A school teacher, Mrs Nzube Obiechina, has told the judicial panel of inquiry sitting in Lagos how some operatives of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) made her to lose two pregnancies due to torture.

Obeichina and her husband, Okechukwu, gave the testimony before the panel on Saturday, 31 October, 2020.

She said she received a strange call from someone who claimed to be a DHL officer on June 2, 2017. Nzube said her husband later called back the number but could not get through.

She further said the same caller phoned her using another number the next day, following which she gave her school address.

Nzube, who teaches in a private school, said to her surprise, the supposed courier turned out to be four hooded SARS officers in a jeep.

“Immediately I approached, they started beating me. They accused me of being an armed robber and kidnapper,” Nzube said.

She stated she was whisked away and later detained.

“They brutalised me in the name of interrogating me. As a pregnant woman, I did not eat or drink for one week and in the process, I lost the baby.

“It was later after I left SARS that I went to the hospital that I found that the baby was gone, and I had to flush it out,” she said.

The teacher identified some of the SARS officers who allegedly tortured them as Philip Rieninwa, Christian and Haruna Idowu.

She said she was pregnant again during her husband’s second arrest, adding that Okwuchukwu was released following an order of the Federal High Court in Lagos.

“Due to the emotional trauma, I lost my second pregnancy. We sued SARS at the Federal High Court and we were awarded N2m damages for the torture and brutality.

“They have not paid the money. The case was taken to the appeal court and it was dismissed and till now, they (SARS) have not done anything,” she said.

The chairman of the panel, Retired Justice Doris Okuwobi, noted that hearing of Obiechinas’ petition had to be adjourned because names of some SARS officials had been mentioned.

“Those SARS officers have to be brought here so that we can hear their own side of the story. This petition is adjourned to November 10,” she said.