By Rasaq Ibrahim, Ado Ekiti
Three victims of the recent EndSARS protest in Ekiti State on Tuesday narrated to the state Judicial Panel of Inquiries looking into allegations of human rights violations including those of SARS and other persons how their motorcycles were allegedly burnt at Ikere Ekiti by members of the Joint Security Task Force.
The victims; Michael Ajogbeje, Adekunle Alonge and Gbenga Adewale, who spoke in their testimonies before the panel, alleged that the task force members comprising men of the Nigerian Army and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, invaded their house at the Anoye area of Ikere Ekiti and took their three bikes to Anoye Police Station where they were reportedly burnt.
The three petitioners and their witness, Fimusanmi Afolabi, who was their landlord, led in evidence by their counsel, Mr Ademola Okeya, alleged that the task force members broke the doors to the house and initially wanted to burn the bikes there before they moved them in their Hilux van to the police station where they were burnt.
In his testimony, Ajogbeje, who said he was sleeping in his room when suddenly he heard noise of protesters, gunshots and sounds of the feet of people running away, added that, “Then the task force officers arrived and kicked the door open. They said the protesters were in the house.
“But our landlord and one police inspector, who is a tenant in the house, told them that there were no protesters in the house. They took away three motor cycles including mine parked in the house. But what we realised later was that the motorcycles had been burnt at the police station,” he said.
Alonge and Adewale corroborated him in their separate testimonies.
Alonge, however, added that eye witnesses informed them that the task force members allegedly removed the motor cycles from their Hilux van into the fire.
Their landlord, who said he was taken aback by the action of the task force members that day, alleged that they removed three motorcycles for the house and took them towards the police station.
The panel chairman, Justice Cornelius Akintayo (rtd), adjourned the matter till December 10 for further tender of documents of one the motorcycles.
