•Family demands immediate restoration

Outrage has trailed the erasure, by the Nigeria Police Force, of the name and record of the First Indigenous Commandant of Nigeria Police College, Ikeja Lagos, the late Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba, with the stunned family demanding the immediate reversal of the action.

In a protest letter addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, the family faulted the action of the Police High Commander, insisting that justice must be done to the departed patriot.

The letter, a copy of which was sighted by News Express, reads in full:

Sir,

SUBJECT: FORMAL PROTEST AND DEMAND FOR THE IMMEDIATE RESTORATION OF THE NAME AND LEGACY OF ANETO UMEADI OYEOKA CHINWUBA AS THE FIRST INDIGENOUS COMMANDANT OF THE NIGERIA POLICE COLLEGE, IKEJA, DELIBERATELY ERASED FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS.

We write this letter as concerned Nigerian citizens and as the children and family member of late. Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba, to formally protest the shocking and inexplicable removal of the name, photograph, official biography, and entire historical record of Mr. Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba from all Nigeria Police Force databases, archives, publications, and the official history of the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, where he served with distinction as the first indigenous Commandant after independence.

It is a matter of public and verifiable historical record that: Mr. Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba, an accomplished police officer of Igbo extraction, was appointed and served as Commandant of the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, in the early 1960s, making him the first Nigerian to occupy that exalted position after the departure of British colonial officers. His tenure marked a significant milestone in the indigenization of the upper echelons of the Nigeria Police Force and symbolized the transfer of institutional leadership to competent Nigerians in the immediate post-independence era.

For decades, his name and photograph appeared prominently in the College’s Hall of Commandants, official brochures, and Force records as the pioneer indigenous Commandant.

Yet, in recent years, citizens, researchers, and even serving officers who visit the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja, have observed with dismay that: His name has been physically removed from the Commandants’ portrait gallery. His records have been deleted from the official list of past Commandants published by the Force. All digital and physical references to his leadership have been systematically erased from Police archives and websites. Inquiries made to the College and Force Headquarters are met with either silence or evasive responses.

This deliberate act of historical erasure constitutes:

a) A gross distortion and falsification of the official history of the Nigeria Police Force.

b) An affront to the principles of merit, justice, and national unity enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

c) A continuation of the systemic marginalization and denial of recognition suffered by officers of Eastern Nigerian origin in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War and beyond.

d) A dangerous precedent that allows any administration to rewrite history by simply deleting inconvenient facts. The Nigeria Police Force is a national institution funded by Nigerian taxpayers. Its history belongs to all Nigerians, not to any particular ethnic group, region, or clique within the Force. The removal of Mr. Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba’s name without any official explanation is an abuse of authority, an act of historical injustice, and a disservice to the sacrifices of pioneer indigenous officers who laid the foundation for the NPF.

DEMANDS

We, therefore, demand the following immediate actions:

1) The immediate restoration of the name, photograph, and full biographical details of Mr. Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba to the list and gallery of past Commandants of the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja (both physical and digital).

2) An update of all official publications, websites, and archives of the Nigeria Police Force to correctly reflect his position as the first indigenous Commandant.

3) A formal public explanation and apology from the Nigeria Police Force for this act of erasure, including disclosure of who authorized it and on what grounds.

4) The constitution of an independent panel to investigate how and why such a deliberate falsification of records was carried out, and to ensure it never happens again to any officer, regardless of ethnicity or origin.

We're copying this protest to:

CC:

The President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The National Assembly (Senate and House Committees on Police Affairs)

The Honourable Minister of Police Affairs.

Distinguished Senator, Victor Umeh, Senator Representing Anambra Central Senatorial District.

Hon.Obiageli Lilian Orogbu,

Federal House of Assembly Member, Representing- Awka North/Awka South

The Police Service Commission.

The National Human Rights Commission.

Reputable national newspapers and civil-society organizations

Should the Nigeria Police Force fail to redress this injustice within thirty (30) days of receipt of this letter, I shall have no choice but to seek legal redress in a court of competent jurisdiction and mobilize wider national and international attention to this act of historical vandalism.

The soul of any institution is its truth. The Nigeria Police Force cannot claim to uphold justice while actively perpetrating injustice against its own pioneers.

Accept the assurances of our highest consideration.

Yours faithfully,

Engr. (Sir) Amaechi Chinwuba +2348033145013

Prof. Zelinjo Igweze +234 803 711 3866

Arc (Sir) Ikem Chinwuba 08039480630

Dr. Ugochukwu Chinwuba +44 7956 368990

Dr. Obiageli Onwurah +2348036688374

Chidi Jefferson +1 (661) 373-4146

Mr. Kenechukwu Chinwuba 09091715450

For the family.

•PHOTO: Late First Indigenous Commandant of Nigeria Police College, Ikeja Lagos, Aneto Umeadi Oyeoka Chinwuba