A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has expressed disappointment and sadness over the inaction by the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba, on a subsisting petition alleging unlawful kidnap, detention and extortion of a whooping sum of N18 million from a businessman, Mr. John Elochukwu.

The petition was raised against Mr. Martin Ngoesina Okechukwu, Chile Ajani, CSP Patrick agbazue, officer in charge of SCID-annex Awkuzu, Mr. Osim, the Administrative officer, Mr. Uche Chukwudi (IPO).

HURIWA said it was reprehensible, despicable and thoroughly embarrassing for the Nigeria Police Force that such a weighty allegations of kidnap of a citizen under the guise of 'lawful' arrest and his arbitrary detention in the same notorious SARS FACILITY in Awkuzu Anambra State and the extortion of his N18 million which was allegedly paid by the alleged police hostage, even whilst still been locked up at the police detention facility, that such a serious allegations were not being rapidly investigated by the Inspector-General of Police was a matter that President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Police Council should take action.

In a statement by the National Coordinator of HURiWA, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the group stated thus: " The Inspector-General of Police must immediately take open, transparent steps to probe the damaging allegations of the use of government security institution, facility, the Nigerian Police Force, Anambra State Police Command State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Annex, Awkuzu Unit, Oyi local government area of Anambra State of Nigeria, to kidnap, arrest, detain, intimidate and extort N18 million ransom from a citizen, Mr. John Elochukwu, which was withdrawn from account 2140743696, UBA bank and allegedly paid into Mr. Ikechukwu Obiada's account (Omaba Block iIndustry) to secure his release from them.

HURIWA said her attention has been called to the embarrassing accusations, which, according to it, must be rapidly confronted by the IGP himself because this matter of gross human rights violations that borders on false imprisonment, blackmail, kidnapping and theft of the humonguous cash belonging to Chief John Elochukwu, if left unattended to as the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba, is treating the issue, will further be seen by members of the international community as another concrete evidence of the damaging report made about the Nigeria Police force by the United States Department of State in its most recent yearly human rights reports.

HURIWA asserted that the States Department of the United States Government reports that significant human rights abuses, including credible reports of: unlawful and arbitrary killings by both government and non-state actors; forced disappearances by the government, terrorists, and criminal groups; torture and cases of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment by the government and terrorist groups; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrests and detention.

HURIWA said information available to it indicates that the victim of police arbitrary arrests, detention, and extortion of N18 million Chief John Elochukwu client is a businessman who has an operational base at Onitsha, Anambra State, but often stays at his abode in the village, due to its proximity to Onitsha.

Said HURIWA: "We were however informed that on 20th February, 2022, at about 3:00am while he was sleeping in his house at the village, his premises was surrounded by some people who claimed to be Officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Annex Awkuzu Unit and their mission was to get him arrested on account of a purported petition from the Inspector-General of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja against him. The officers, however, had no search warrant for their mission, but they themselves as police officers (as claimed) from the Anambra State Police Command Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Annex Awkuzu Unit, insisted on searching his entire premises, and after searching his house, they did not find any incriminating item(s) and still got him arrested with serious beating and subsequently detained him in their office."

"That when he queried why they were embarrassing him, according to the leader of the group who arrested him, he was told that it was because of the petition against him from the Inspector-General of Police Office, Abuja, which they were executing.

“He also told us that he requested them to make available, the said petition but none was brought/given or shown to him, which ordinarily ought to be the right procedure.

“But they detained him for 5 days and while he was still in detention, the Officer-In-Charge of (SCID) Awkuzu Unit Annex, CSP Patrick Agbazue, the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Uche Chukwudi and Mr. Martin Ngoesina Okechukwu and Chike Ajani whom the O/C SARS uses as an alleged front in their alleged Kidnapping-for-Ransom business brought him out of the cell around 3:00am, and took him to the CSP Patrick Agbazue's office and informed him that they have agreed that he should pay the sum of N18 Million only to secure his release from them, if not, he will be wasted that night and this was with much threat to his life by them."

"He told us that it was then he knew that it was actually kidnappers that took him, but were only using the (SCID) Annex Awkuzu Unit facility to perfect their act(s) in connivance with Mr. Martin Ngoesina Okechukwu and CSP Patrick Agbazue, the Officer-In-Charge of SCID Annex Awkuzu Unit. He then became afraid of his life, considering the level of inhuman treatment they were meting on him, agreed to their ransom bid. It was Mr. Chike Ajani who went to UBA Bank, brought and returned the transfer mandate form used to remove money from our client's account. He eventually paid them N15 Million, while N3 Million was given cash to them. He was immediately released on 25th February, 2022, without any mention of the reason(s) why he was detained."

HURIWA is, therefore, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Usman Alkali Baba, to expeditiously investigate this damaging allegations with the view to adopting law-based approach to retrieve the allegedly stolen money of the businessman from the Police officers as alleged and then to use the lawful means to bring the Police officers to face the full weight of the law should the allegations be confirmed to be true as alleged by the victim of purported Police kidnap and theft of N18 million in Anambra State, South East of Nigeria.

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