By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of the Nigerian police which has been in the dock at the Lagos Judicial Panel of Inquiry for human rights abuses, especially against Mrs Ndubisi Obiechina, has fought back, in a dramatic turn.
At the hearing today, the IRT lawyer, Nosa Uhumwangho, said Mrs Obiechina was arrested because the three phone numbers 08091000094, 08112452895 and 08188489518, used to collect $1million ransom from one Francis Umeh, who was kidnapped by Evans, belonged to her and her husband.
But Mrs Obiechina said she wasn’t aware of that information.
Mrs Obiechina told the panel that the men of IRT brutalized her to the extent that she lost her two months pregnancy.
But Uhumwangho, the IRT lawyer said she was arrested because her phone line was used in negotiating ransom.
He said: “It was when Mr Umeh (Evans alleged victim) reported this matter and the numbers of the two petitioners came out persistently, that was why the two petitioners were arrested on June 5, (2017) which later paved the way for the arrest of Evans.”
But Mrs Obiechina said she was not released immediately after the arrest of Evans.
She said: “After my brother’s arrest on June 10, 2017, we were not released the following day, my husband was released a week after and I was released two weeks after. They were very much aware that I was two months pregnant,” she said.