By Vincent Ujumadu

Anambra-based human rights lawyer, Justus Ijeoma has alleged that the Police Rapid Response Squad (RRS), domiciled at the premises of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State, is a reincarnation of the dreaded outfit.

SARS was  proscribed about three years ago by the  police authorities following nation-wide protests by youths over police brutality.

Ijeoma made the allegation at the Federal High Court, Awka, yesterday when he appeared for the detained member of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, Nnamdi Emeh, who is facing a 12 – count charge  of criminal offences, including alleged impersonation, money laundering and illegal possession of arms. He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Emeh was working as an IT consultant to the Anambra State Police Command, and was attached to the RRS, Awkuzu, where he was accused of applying his IT skills and knowledge of police operations to use an anonymous blogger to accuse the police of atrocious  activities.

Although the court had since granted him bail, Emeh is yet to perfect his bail conditions. At the adjourned hearing yesterday, the court did not sit.

Speaking at the court premises, Ijeoma said the police were  just trying to use his client’s case to distract the public from the weighty allegations that had come up with the operations of  the officers and men at Awkuzu SARS.

Ijeoma said: “The police are just trying to use this case to distract the public from the weighty allegations that have come up with the operations of  the officers and men at Awkuzu SARS which was buried sometime in 2020, but resurrected in another name, Rapid Response Squad, or whatever they call it.

“But practically, it’s SARS( Special Anti Robbery Squad) which was dead, resulting from the  ENDSARS activities that has resurrected. So, the allegations that are in the public against them is what they want to distract the people from.”

 According to him, the matter was slated for hearing for application to vary the bail earlier granted to the defendant, but the court did not sit. 

“We were asked to come back on Tuesday, the 27 day of this month for ruling on the application to vary the bail earlier granted.

” The matter has been stepped down for hearing on the 4th day of October and one of the conditions set by the court in terms of the bail granted is that the  defendant should deposit his international passport with the registrar of the court.

“Incidentally,  the defendant’s international passport is in the custody of the police prosecution.  We made application to inform the court that we cannot deposit what we do not  have. So we brought application asking the court to vary that bail by either expunging  it or making the submitting of the international passport, subject to releasing of same by the police.

” If they can’t release it to us, we cannot deposit anything. We have perfected the bail, practically. 

“The defendant is an innocent Nigerian; a Youth Corps member who has invested  his youth  judiciously in making sure that criminals are apprehended and prosecuted,” Ijeoma said.