Rights Group Petitions  Tinubu, PSC Chairman  Over Continuous Human Rights Abuses By Enugu Police Command

*Seeks urgent investigation

By; KELVIN OKPARA, Enugu 

A human rights organization, Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), has petitioned president Ahmed Bola Tinubu over alleged grave continuous human rights violations by the Enugu State Police Command under the watch of CP, Anayo Uzuegbu.

It therefore, appealed  to the president to as a matter of urgency,  direct the Dr. Solomon Arase led Police Service Commission (PSC) to as a matter of urgency, carry out thorough investigation on the allegation.

The organization in the petition signed by its president, Barrister Olu Omotayo, and made available to newsmen on  Sunday in Enugu, channeled the complaint via  office of the Chief of Staff to  President Tinubu, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

According to the petition, which was also copied to Chairman of the PSC, Dr. Arase, the investigation is very important because the nation’s constitution forbids such act.

 The document read thus, “We write to you in respect of the continuous rights violations by the Police in Enugu State under Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu. We shall refer your Excellency to two recent grave rights violation within one month.

“Re: Detention of a 16-year old innocent child at the State CID, Police Headquarters Enugu for 3 months on a trump up charge of rape. It took the intervention of the media and the Governor of Enugu State to secure the release of the 16 year old after over  three months unlawful detention at the Police Headquarters Enugu, just because the parents of the child are poor and could not pay the N1.2 million Naira, demanded for bribe.

 “The letter from the Office of the Governor of Enugu State informing our organization of the efforts made by His Excellency Peter Mbah Esq. the Governor of Enugu State in securing the release of the child from unlawful detention is attached herewith. 

“The child an SS2 student in one of the secondary schools in the state, was unlawfully detained for over three months at the Police Headquarters Enugu from October 9 2023,  to January 22, 2024. Since the release of the child from detention the parents have been taking him to hospital because of the deteriorating condition of his health.”

It added:  “The  teenager who was looking pale, narrated to us how he was tortured while in detention by a policeman named Ifeanyi who used police baton to beat him all over his body joints in order to make him confess to what he did not do. 

“The little Eze said his torture was supervised by the Officer in Charge (OC) D 18, State CID Enugu.”

The organization equally recalled, “Abuse of Police Powers, Unlawful Arrest and detention of innocent citizens in respect of a case earlier Investigated by AIG Zone 13, Anambra State and the defendant charged to court.

“The Commissioner of Police ordered arrest of innocent citizens in respect of a land matter that had been investigated at the Zonal Level and the defendant charged to court. 

“The same complainant not satisfied that the Hon. Attorney General of Enugu State took over the prosecution of the case, made fresh petition to the Commissioner of Police against the same defendant, but only added the name of two of his friends and the former Commissioner for Lands in Enugu State, Mr. Solomon Onah (popularly known as Jack Solo), as co-suspect. 

“The question is when has it become the duty of the Commissioner of Police to determine ownership of land and also acted on petition to arrest the former Commissioner for Lands who signed the Allocation paper of  Mr. Nwebor? This is  a grave misuse of power of his office.

“It should be noted that Cletus Nwebor was earlier arrested in respect of land matter by the officers of Zone 13, Anambra. 

“The arrest was instigated by Chief Oscar Paul Udoji who wanted to forcefully take over Cletus fathers’ land.  It would equally  be recalled that after the arrest and extortion, we embarked on human rights advocacy and with the support of the media the money extorted from him by the Police, the sum of N500 thousand Naira was refunded back to him based on the directive of AIG Tony Olofu.

“Cletus was later arraigned before an Magistrate Court on a six count Charge of conspiracy, threat to life of Chief Paul Udoji, malicious damage and Forcible entry upon land in Charge No. CME/701/2023, on the 11th October 2023. The Charge Sheet is attached herewith.

“But based on our Letter to Appeal for Justice to the Office of the Attorney General, a lawyer from the Chambers of the Hon. Attorney General Enugu State appeared in the matter and informed the court that the Hon Attorney General had written to the Police to forward the case file to him for review and necessary action. 

“The matter is still pending in court awaiting the opinion of the Honorable Attorney General; in fact the matter came up in court on the 30th January 2024, and adjourned to February 21st 2024. 

“Chief Udoji realized that the incorruptible Attorney General and his able Director of Public rosecutions (DPP) will maintain justice, hence he ran again to the Police at the Anti Cult Unit Enugu, and made same complaint of conspiracy, threat to life of Chief Paul Udoji, malicious damage and forcible entering upon land against Cletus, the former Commissioner for Lands, Mr. Solomon Onah and two of his friends who have been arrested in the morning of  February 2, 2024  and detained at the Police Anti cult base. 

“The two Cletus friend detained are: Engr Emeka Nwokoye and Mr. Ifeanyi Nzekwe (the CSO of GRA Neighborhood Watch)

“We submit without equivocation that: the torture and Unlawful detention of the child, who committed no offence, for over three months at the Police Headquarters Enugu, is a grave assault on the UN Convention on the Rights of the child (UNCRC) and the Child Rights Act 2003, which is a National law.

” The action of the Commissioner of Police in commencing fresh investigation into a matter that emanated from Enugu State command to the Police Zonal headquarters Zone 13, Anambra, and the defendant charged to Court on the orders of the AIG Zone 13, amounts to grave abuse of office.  

“The prosecution of same matter which has since been taken over by the Chambers of the Hon. Attorney General of Enugu state, therefore the action of the Commissioner of Police is a deliberate act to undermine the Constitutional powers of the Hon. Attorney to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other authority or person; and prosecution of any criminal trial in the state as provided under section 211, of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended).

” This matter raises a very important constitutional issue as the action of the Commissioner of Police is a grave assault on the Constitution of the Federal Republic in relation to the powers of the Hon. Attorney General.

“We equally submit that Nigeria should move along with comity of decent nations of the world and these human rights violations and any form of barbarity should never be allowed in this country under any guise whatsoever. 

“The hallmark of democracy is the observance of the Rule of Law and respect for human rights. Every citizens of this country is entitled to get justice. 

“Justice is not only for the rich and nobody however rich he is should be allowed to pervert the course of Justice and subjugate the Rule of Law. Let the poor breathes. 

“We therefore, urge you to direct the Police Service Commission to investigate these human rights violations and constitutional breaches by the Commissioner of Police Enugu State, in the interest of justice and our great nation.”

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