Kingsley Tariuwa

2020

Woji, GRA, Port Harcourt

On the 5th of January, 2020, life as the Tariuwa family knew it took an immensely dark turn when one of their sons, Kingsley Tariuwa, was abducted alongside three others by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Port Harcourt. 

In the spirit of festivities, 30-year-old Kingsley bade his mother, wife, and two-month-old daughter bye as he headed out to The Boss Lounge, a bar and club in Woji GRA of Port Harcourt in Rivers state for a relaxing evening. Little did his loved ones know that that would be the last time they would ever see or hear from him. 

“We were very close,” shares Patrick, Kingsley’s older brother, as he describes their relationship, his voice laden with emotion. Until his disappearance, Kingsley worked as a forklift operator for the Frozen Fish unit of the Nigerian Ports Authority in Port Harcourt.

Since this unfortunate incident, the Tariuwa family have been put through the ringer by the police and the courts. They have written a number of petitions and even when they’ve been lucky enough to be summoned by a judge, the SARS operatives simply refuse to appear. When asked if he’s hopeful that his brother will soon turn up, Ezekiel’s response is both chilling and heart-breaking: “Nobody is a fool. Although I’m just trying to be hopeful, nobody wants to hold the negative side of this thing. Let’s just believe, according to what he said, he’s in his custody. But why would somebody be in your custody for nine months now?”

Till date, they are still in contact with the head of the police CRU, ACP Ishaku, who has promised to revisit the case. Before this, they had sent a petition to the CID in Abuja in September. He states how frustrating and traumatizing the experience has been, especially with the nonchalance of the NPF, both in Port Harcourt and Abuja.

Killer officer: Francis Nwankwo