Chima Ikwunado

2019

Port Harcourt, Rivers State

19 December, 2019, Chima Ikwunado, a mechanic working on two clients’ cars was arrested by the Eagle Crack Squad unit of the Rivers Police Command for driving against traffic. Chima, along with his co-worker, apprentice, a childhood friend, and another man, were accused by the police officers of being robbers and cultists who had stolen cars.

The 5 men were taken to the Mile 1 Police Station where they were tortured to confess to crimes they did not commit. In the words of one of the Ifeanyi Onyekwere, Chima’s childhood friend and one of the survivors:

“Them go handcuff you, carry pipe hold your leg, come hang you for up. Your head now go dey for down, your leg go dey for up. Dem hang Chima around 11 o’clock in the morning till 5 p.m.”*

Chima died on 23 December, 2019 from the wounds sustained due to repeated torture. His father Kevin Ikwunado said

“…Na my only son wey look after me, Na my only son wey dey feed me”*

The Nigerian Police charged the survivors, the Ikoku 4 (Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji, Ifeanyi Onyekwere) for robbery and cultism, despite having released the cars to the owners, who verified Chima as their mechanic.

Killer police officers: Ayogu Fidelis, Eke Chibuzor, Egbunefu Felix and Rose Georgewill.