By
Comrade Aloysius Attah
In the police circle, being posted
to Anambra State to serve in any division especially within the urban areas is
a big scramble. It is a public knowledge that some police officers who believe
in the efficacy of prayers embark on several months of fasting and prayer to be
posted here and also to remain here in perpetuity unless on promotion to bigger
ranks among the superior officers. The story is the same among those who
believe in charms and deadly concoctions as they also travel far and wide to
prepare the charms or fortify themselves that nobody will remember them for
posting outside the state.
The DPOs in some juicy divisions in
Anambra and other intelligent officers swim in money that some of them embark
on buying choice properties within some interval of working here without even
touching their salaries. The situation is compounded by the Omata mentality
among some big time traders who deal on contrabands, fake/pirated products and
some money bag politicians who patronize the DPOs and some other superior
officers to oil their wheel of business so that the police can turn blind eye
while their illegitimate business and deals thrive.
This is the foundation that led to
the bastardisation of police work in Anambra and the sacrificing of
professionalism on the altar of primitive accumulation. The situation is
so bad that some of these men involved in all kinds of shady deals are the
members and executives of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) and they
donate generously to the police stations and the officers.
The rank and file who are mainly on
the road on patrols and operations then deal ruthlessly with the so called
illiterate traders who are eager to part with any amount provided you don’t
take him to the station, tell him to write statement or even cajole him with
the threat of putting him inside the cell.
Some among the senior officers who
are wise enough try as much as possible to cooperate with some credible human
rights groups like the CLO whenever they intervene in any matter while crooked
ones among them see us as sworn enemies that should be dealt with at any
opportunity for spoiling business for them.
At the inception of the Obiano
administration, he declared his continued support to the law enforcement agents
in line with the practice of his predecessor, Mr. Peter Obi. As at the last
count, the governor said that a total of 100 vehicles have been provided under
him to the police. Codenamed Operation Kpochapu, the teams were mandated
to check vehicle boots to track kidnappers while keeping a motorized patrol
along the expressways.
Unfortunately, from the CLO
findings, majority of the teams have simply abdicated from their assigned
responsibility to pursue illicit monetary gains either by hook or crook. Their
various tents and vehicle have been converted to emergency detention centers
and mobile banks.
Their greatest casualties are Okada
and keke riders, traders conveying goods on bike or vehicles while they are
poised to deal with any uncooperative citizen without any form of provocation.
Police Team At Nkpor Flyover As A Case Study:
The Civil Liberties Organization,
Anambra State Branch in the course of investigations identified the police team
at Nkpor Express by News parts and Mgbuke market junction as the worst police
team on road operations. Led by Inspector Pius Umoh, the team operates with
police vehicle tagged number 346 and vehicle registration number NPF 7282 C.
Other members of the team included
Corporal Ojokpa Ochi with Force number 374552, Corporal Elue Lawrence with
Force number 441889, Another Corporal Chinonyerem Ihekoromadu whose force
number was not visible, another police man with force number 030631 and another
officer always on plain clothes.
The team from an independent
undercover report done by the Chairman of Anambra CLO represent the perfect
example of a rotten egg in the police force that should be weeded out to avoid
its pollutant virus from infiltrating others.
Sergeant Umoh and his team operate
their own version of Onitsha main market in their duty post where everything
has a price tag. They perform the duties of the arresting officer, the
prosecuting counsel, the jury and the sentencing officer all at the same
time. In their stand, any bike that passes by without a crash helmet
whether private or commercial attracts non negotiable fee of N2000. Any
vehicle without a tinted glass permit whether factory fitted or not attracts
N10,000. Not having vehicle particulars or expired one attracts prices ranging
from N5, 000 to N20,000. Any keke driver that drops passenger within their
vicinity attracts summary penalty of N5, 000. The policeman on plain
clothes is the one in charge of seizing motorcycles and padlocking it with a
long chain and key which can contain about 20 motorcycles at a time. When they
contravene motorcycles so much that the space allotted for it becomes filled
up, they pass immediate judgment of the cash price and threaten to take them to
a yet to be identified station if the owner is not ready to play ball.
In the course of undercover to get
full details of their illegal operations, the CLO Chairman not only got action
shots where they collect money but also encountered various victims who had sordid
tales of what they have passed through in their hands. Two among their victims
included Chidubem Obianuna, a Keke driver from Ogidi phone no 08163036225, an
asthmatic patient who had sudden attack and fainted as the team demanded N10,
000 from him for dropping passengers within the area. In the course of the
encounter, Chidubem after being revived lost his mobile phone, wallet, ID card
and cash of N7, 000. Another victim was Chukwuemeka Nonyelu, phone
number, 08131961129 whom they collected N2, 000 from him after seizing his
Press Cub Motorcycle, Reg. No. JJT 247 QA for not wearing a crash helmet.
Though the CLO has written a formal
petition against this police team while the Police Public Relations Officer,
DSP Uche Eze has visited the scene and confirmed the CLO findings, we dare say
that the Umoh and his team represents the sample of what the Operation Kpochapu
teams have turned into . From Awka to Nkpor Junction, Onitsha Owerri road to
Upper Iweka and across the length and breadth of the state, the story is the
same. This is a clarion call on the Commissioner of Police in Anambra
State, Hosea Karma to beam his searchlight on the conduct of his men on duty
and ensure that strict disciplinary actions are meted on any one or team found
wanting in the discharge of their duties.
As the yuletide season is here, all
nooks and crannies of the state have been dotted with gun totting , plain
clothed and even fake policemen all with the sole intent of grabbing money from
defenseless citizens. The Okpoko police division, Onitsha CPS , Area command
and Ogidi divisions top the chart in these violations. It is the duty of
the Command Monitoring Unit to police the police and ensure that they abide by
the ethical conduct expected of them. This Christmas period is therefore a test
case for CP Karma for us to know his commitment to crime fighting or whether he
came to line up his pockets.
Extrajudicial
Killings, Torture And Illegal Detention:
Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended stated that every person shall be
entitled to his personal liberty and also listed situations where such liberty
can be denied a citizen. Section 34 Subsection 1 of the 1999 constitution
also stated that every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his
person and accordingly (a) no person shall be subjected to torture or to
inhuman or degrading treatment.
Sadly enough, the above
constitutional provisions are observed in flagrant breach daily in Anambra
state from the various police divisions to the Special Anti Robbery Squads
(SARS) scattered across Awkuzu, Nnewi, Ogidi, CPS, Okpoko etc.
The Awkuzu SARS specifically
designed to handle cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, felony and other capital
offences still handle cases of master servant issues, business deals gone awry
between friends, okada riders caught riding past 7pm among other petty issues.
When such detainees find it hard to part with the demanded astronomical bail
fees, they are dumped in the cell to rot forever while some of them are paraded
alongside hardened criminals while others are summarily executed during their
routine decongestion of cells.
A bus driver, Ogbonna Adonu who
recently regained freedom from Awkuzu SARS captivity after nearly three months
for associating with a wanted kidnapper regaled the CLO with chilling
tales of the horrendous activities that go on behind the walls of SARS.
Detainees are suspended half way in the air with head down while the legs are
hanging in the ceiling hook. With thorough beatings with electric wires and all
manner of shocking torture methods and mock shootings, suspects most times own
up for crimes they never committed. Though later declared innocent after months
in detention, Ogbonna still parted with nearly N270, 000 before he could be
left off the hook by CSP James Nwafor and his boys.
The CLO Chairman during a recent
parade of suspects at the police headquarters Awka also encountered a detainee
in Awkuzu SARS who gave his name as Chukwudi Chimezie from Nkwere, Imo
State. Chimezie already looking like bonga fish owing to many months of
incarceration with no food was too weak to voice out that he was never a thief
or a robber. He said he is a driver but it was his master that was implicated
in a criminal matter but the man later settled the police and bolted away while
he has been left to die in custody.
Evidences abound and we are
not disputing the fact also that SARS and the police command have made
tremendous breakthroughs in the fight against armed robbers and criminals but
we use this medium to call on the Anambra State Commissioner of Police to order
for a full review of all criminal suspects in the various SARS units in Anambra
State. The Amnesty International , Human Rights Watch and other credible
organizations should come for rescue in Anambra State and let us all put a stop
to this human bazaar going on as part of fighting criminals.
(Excerpts
from the 25 paged World Human Rights Day Report of the Civil Liberties
Organization (CLO), Anambra State Branch. 08035090548, attahcomrade@yahoo.com)
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