A businessman based in Onitsha has revealed how his brother was killed by SARS operatives and his family forced to bury him without his corpse. 

The man identified as Obiora Akabike revealed this before the Anambra State panel of inquiry on Police brutality, extra judicial killings and other related matters on Tuesday.  

Akabike said his 24 year old brother, Ekene Akabike was killed by the State Anti-Robbery Squad SARS in 2004 The deceased, according to the brother, hailed from Ifitedunu, Dunukofia local government area of State and a Final Year student of Statistics at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Unizik Awka.

 He said the victim was arrested in 2004 when the defunct unit of police allegedly came to arrest one Chinedu.

 According to him, “they told me they arrested him when they came to arrest the son of the owner of the lodge where he lived at Awka while schooling at Unizik.“I am living at Nkpor in Onitsha. They didn’t tell me why he was arrested. I demanded to see him.“And they told me ‘we have wasted the young man.’ When I demanded to see his corpse, they refused to release it to me till date.“We have to conduct a funeral for him after waiting without reply from SARS. Here is the condolence register signed by sympathisers.”“After a source confided to the family that Ekene died under SARS custody on 3rd June 2004, we in accordance with custom of Igbo land, printed posters and conducted his funeral rite on July 2004 although his corpse was not found. 

He added that the death of Ekene, who according to him was their last child, caused their mother an undisclosed ailment which equally led to her untimely death.