Vernia Legal Practitioners, solicitors to the families of the late Endurance Omonyahuy and Sikiru Amusa, have written to the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, seeking for justice to be done as regards the killing of their clients by trigger happy cop.

The letter titled, ‘RE: DOUBLE HOMICIDE OF THE LATE MESSRS ENDURANCE OMONYAHUY AND SIKIRU AMUSA BY SARS OPERATIVES AT IGANDO AREA OF LAGOS STATE AND THE UNRELENTING PERVERSION OF JUSTICE BY NIGERIAN POLICE FORCE’, was signed by the Managing Partner, Abayomi Sadiku.

The letter, a copy of which was sighted by News Express, intimated the Governor on how their clients were wasted since 2012, and justice perverted with no compensation paid to the family till date.

The letter read as follows: “Sequel to your request to be furnished with the particulars of every victim of the notorious activities of the personnel of the now defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos State, we became motivated by your uncommon show of leadership and empathy to apprise you with concise information about the death of Mr. Endurance Omonyahuy and Mr. Sikiru Amusa and the continuing perversion of justice by the Police Force thereafter.

“In the early hours of the fateful day of February 15, 2012 when Inspectors Niyi Oladapo, Adedeji Olusegun and Corporal Uche Smart who were part of an Anti-Robbery Patrol Team, Igando Police Station, Idimu Lagos State demanded a bribe from Endurance Omonyahuy and Sikiru Amusa, the men refused to accede to this and in return Inspector Niyi Oladapo fired a shot which hit Sikiru and also pierced through Endurance, killing both of them.

“Sequel to our intervention, the killer-cops who had hitherto tried to cover up their dastardly act by initially labeling the innocent men as armed robbers and later changing their story to that they were killed by armed robbers, eventually realised that they had no choice but to come clean in the face of the overwhelming evidence we gathered against them, including eye witnesses accounts.

“They then confessed to what actually transpired and even made formal confessional statements which are all still on record.

“Consequently, we caused a Petition dated April 17, 2012 to be written and sent to the then Inspector General of Police and also caused another Petition dated 25th day of June 2012 to be written to the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Professor Chidi Odinkalu.

“After these efforts, two separate Orderly Room Trials were conducted at both the S.C.I.D., Panti Lagos State and also at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on the orders of the erstwhile Inspector General of Police. And upon a Legal Advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, Lagos State clearly stating that a prima facie case of murder was established against the killer-cop, a criminal action was instituted at the Lagos State High Court vide charge No: LCD/184/2012 [The State of Lagos v. Inspector Niyi Oladapo] before his lordship, Justice Opesanwo.

“Though the then Lagos State Attorney General, Mr. Ade Ipaye SAN [now Deputy Chief of Staff to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President of Nigeria] did his best, the prosecution of this gruesome, inhumane and dastardly act was frustrated by the actions of the Police.

“The accused person was never produced in court despite several Production Warrants served on the Police Provost, Mr. Aloba. The Attorney General of Lagos State had to intervene by sending a stern letter dated April 24, 2014 to the then Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar asking him to intervene in the production of the accused.

“Our Managing Partner, Mr. Abayomi Sadiku, followed up by traveling to Abuja from Lagos to meet with successive Inspectors General of Police, until his meeting of November 12, 2014 with Mr. Suleiman Abba, the IGP as at then, who promptly put a telephone call through to the then Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Mr. Kayode Aderanti, instructing him to ensure the production of the accused in Court.

“However, upon thorough investigation by the said Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, it was discovered that the accused had been released on the order of the former Provost, Mr. Aloba and was subsequently nowhere to be found, thereby effectively frustrating the effort to bring him to justice.

“This shameful and disappointing development dealt a fatal blow to the prosecution’s case as the matter had to be struck-out pending when the fugitive cop will be apprehended and produced in Court to face his criminal trial.

“Again, our Petition November 9, 2015 was sent to the Inspector General of Police capturing the unfortunate turn of events but yet nothing was done.

“Yes, it was a setback to our criminal justice system but choosing not to concede defeat, we continued in the pursuit of justice for the deceased men and their families in seeking civil redress.

“This was fruitful as the windows of Justice opened in our favour on May 3, 2016, when his lordship, Justice S. A. Onigbanjo of the Lagos State High Court delivered a potent judgement granting the Applicants their claims against the Police [as Respondents] amongst others and a judgement sum of money.

“Your Excellency, quite sadly, till date the Police hierarchy has refused to obey the lawful subsisting Judgment of Court in spite of our several Petitions to them on the need to do right by the victims, the hapless families deprived of their breadwinners, by God and the State Nigeria.

“It was in the course of waiting for the elusive justice that Mr. Segun Amusa, the 3rd Applicant and Father to the late Sikiru Amusa, died. It is noteworthy that before his death, we caused yet another Petition to be written to the Attorney General of the Federation as the Chief-Law-Officer of the Federation, to please intervene in getting the Police to pay the said judgment sum due to these families so that the ailing man could treat

himself lest he died, but all to no avail until the man eventually died of a disease that was curable if only he had the funds to access the needed medical treatment.

“But this is now a tale of “if only”. Stack reality is that Mr. Segun Amusa is dead because Justice was denied him.

“Also, the Presidency through the office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo [SAN] who is not only a fellow Minister in the Temple of Justice but also an advocate for Human Rights, was also petitioned on the matter and he formally referred the matter to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami [SAN] for action but injustice still prevails.

“The accused person has not been brought to face justice and neither has the Judgment sum, a product of the extant and potent Judgment of the Court, been paid to the families of the victims!

“In response to the prevalent protests, your Excellency did promise to set up an investigative panel to inquire into the several cases of police brutality and also went a step further promising the payment of compensation to these victims.

“Sequel to this, we express full confidence in the assurances given by your Excellency that your word to your people will not go unfulfilled. Therefore, attached to this letter are all relevant documents pertaining to the case of these unfortunate victims [late Messrs Endurance Omonyahuy and Sikiru Amusa] of Police brutality in Lagos State.”