Ada is determined to see justice served for the disappearance of her brother, Chijioke Iloanya. Chijioke鈥檚 case was part of what fueled the 2020 #EndSARS protest after he went missing in 2012. The notorious Awkuzu SARS in Anambra, where Chijoke lived with his family, is said to be responsible, and there鈥檚 a face and name for who to hold accountable. Now, Ada is staging a solo protest at the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding justice for her brother and other victims of police brutality.听
The Nigeria Police Force’s vision is 鈥淭o make Nigeria safer and more secure鈥o create a safe and secure environment for everyone living in Nigeria.鈥
However, this vision has been nothing short of a nightmare for Ada and her family, who have been searching for elusive justice for the past 11 years. Ada narrated to Citizen everything that has led her up to this moment.
Walk us through why you鈥檙e staging this protest
My brother, Chijioke, was arrested by the Nigerian police on November 29, 2012. Then he was transferred to Awkuzu Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Anambra state before my mum could bail him out.
When my parents tried to bail him out at Awkuzu SARS, they denied having him at first. My parents were about to leave the station when they saw my brother being led in, and my mum raised the alarm that he was the one they came to bail out. My parents were thrown out, and it would take several days before they were allowed into the station.
When they eventually got access, they met James Nwafor, the officer in charge of the SARS unit. When my mum asked for my brother, he told her that if it was those boys (including my brother) she was looking for, he鈥檇 already killed them and that there was nothing she could do about it.
My mum slumped when she heard it and was taken to the hospital. This started this journey for us, and we鈥檝e been trying to get justice in different ways. In 2019, I wrote about it on Twitter. In 2020, I because I saw his handle on Twitter.
I鈥檝e written petitions to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). I鈥檝e also .听
We went to the #EndSARS panel in 2020. The Anambra state government hasn’t made the panel’s recommendations and findings public. No whitepaper has been released either. Nothing has happened. James Nwafor is still a free man while we鈥檙e still in the pain of losing our brother and son. Other families have lost someone to James Nwafor, and others have been victims of police brutality.听
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It鈥檚 tough what you and your family have had to go through
I started this protest on July 3. It will go on for ten days, ending on July 13. The reason it鈥檚 happening now is because it鈥檚 going to three years since we wrote a petition and went to a panel for #EndSARS to demand justice over the death of my brother, Chijioke.
The panel made findings and recommendations, but we鈥檝e not gotten that yet, up till now. I鈥檓 also doing this because I鈥檓 getting tired. I have a life outside of this. My life revolves around Chijioke, and I would like justice for him. It draws me back whenever someone sees me and asks if something has been done about my brother鈥檚 case. I have no good answer to that, and that has to change.
July is also Chijioke鈥檚 birth month, which makes this symbolic. His birthday is July 13, which I鈥檝e chosen as the day to end the protest. Because I鈥檝e fought for justice for my brother, other people who have been victims of police brutality have reached out to me as a point of contact. They tell me about family members they鈥檝e lost, and I feel so bad I can do nothing for them. The least I can do is use my voice to speak on their behalf. So while I鈥檓 advocating for Chijioke, I鈥檓 also trying to get justice for them because we deserve it.
How鈥檚 it been so far?
I鈥檝e been pushing, although it鈥檚 been getting harder and harder. Yesterday鈥檚 protest was harder than Monday’s because the sun was scorching hot, and I had to stand for long hours without a place to sit. When I get tired, I sit at the barricades, which still places me under the sun鈥檚 searing heat.
It rained in the morning today so I couldn鈥檛 start early. But I鈥檓 here now, protesting. I鈥檝e noticed that people have been asking me to go to Ahmed Isah (Ordinary Ahmed of Brekete Family). But when I first tweeted about it, some people like Segalink tried to help, but nothing happened. So I鈥檓 conflicted. Do I reach out to him? Would it change anything or not? Also, it鈥檚 not just about me. What about other families? It鈥檚 a little convenient for me because I鈥檓 based in Abuja but what about them? Do they spend their money to come to Abuja to meet Ahmed when it鈥檚 easier to arrest James Nwafor immediately?
What would you like to see happen?
Start the investigation and prosecution of James Nwafor immediately. Let each state release its #EndSARS panel reports, whitepapers and recommendations to the public. It makes no sense for ordinary citizens to seek justice through one man who is probably overwhelmed with so much. Why should I rely on a regular Nigerian to help me when we have institutions that aren鈥檛 doing their jobs? It鈥檚 unfair. I鈥檝e been here since having people look at me with pity, and I don鈥檛 want that. I just want justice.
