FCT Police launch probe into wrongful arrest and death in SARS custody of Enugu lady, Ifeoma Abugu (28), in Lokogoma, Abuja.

Ms. Abugu was arrested on 10 September at the home of her fiancé in the Wumba area of Lokogoma, Abuja.

The arrest was made by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) who came to look for her intended, Afam Ugwunwa.

They arrested her in place of Ugwunwa who they did not find at home.

Ugwunwa said he made desperate efforts to secure her release from detention, only to be told that she had died.

A family lawyer, Ifeanyi Mamah, told The Punch newspaper that the arrest took place on 10 September while Ifeoma died the following day.

Mamah narrated what happened as follows:

“She (Ifeoma) had just finished cooking that day, while her fiancé and her friend had finished eating and the friend left.

“The fiancé went to see a friend in one of the neighbouring estates, when he received a call from a neighbour that the police had come to arrest his fiancée and she had been taken away.

“He received another call from Ifeoma that she was being taken away by SARS, but she didn’t know where they were taking her to.

“Ifeoma’s fiancé called a friend of his to help in looking for her and secure her release, but she was not found, only for the fiancé to receive a call the next day that she was dead and her corpse had been deposited in the morgue.

The Abugu family is alleging that Ifeoma was tortured and raped by SAARS operatives while in their custody.

“When my uncles saw the picture of her corpse, they saw signs that she was sexually assaulted,” Ifeoma’s brother, Alex, said.

“We’re waiting for the result of an autopsy to come out to ascertain what happened to her.”

FCT Police Commissioner, Mr. Bala Ciroma, has ordered a postmortem on the remains to verify the claim.

The police will be “professional and transparent on the investigation,” spokesman of the Command, DSP Anjuguri Manzah, said.

Ms Abugu graduated from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu and recently concluded the mandatory national service.

She became engaged to Ugwumba four days before her arrest and unfortunate death.

Slug: FCT Police investigate death in custody of Ifeoma Abugu in Abuja

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