A civic group has insisted that the corper who exposed the organ trafficking ring in Anambra police must not be tortured.
Glamtush reports that the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has written the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali over the arrest of a 26-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Nnamdi Daniel Emeh.
This online platform recalls that Emeh was declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force on February 20, 2023, for allegedly impersonating an Assistant Superintendent of Police in Anambra State.
He was said to have been arrested in a joint operation by INTERPOL operatives in the Benin Republic and Nigeria on Friday, March 3.
Emeh was arrested in connection with allegations of a case under investigation by the Force Headquarters in which top police officers in Anambra State Police Command were alleged to be involved in human organ trafficking, kidnapping and killing of suspects after extorting them.
It was alleged that Emeh, an information technology (IT) expert while serving as a tracker in the Anambra State Police Command, started impersonating senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force in Anambra State including an Assistant Superintendent of Police.
The Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma in a statement however described the suspect as a whistleblower who exposed the alleged extrajudicial killings by three officers attached to the Anambra state command.
The accused officers are Patrick Agbazue, Nwode Nkeiruka, and Harrison Akama.
Agbazue is the officer-in-charge of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Nkeiruka is the spokesperson for Zone 13 headquarters, Ukpo-Dunukofia, while Akama is a police inspector attached to the Rapid Response Squad.
The statement read, “RULAAC has taken note of the report of the arrest of the 26-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member Emeh Nnamdi who was declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force on February 20, 2023, for ‘impersonation of an Assistant Superintendent of Police and defamation of character.’
“This is the same fellow who made revelations about the existence of an alleged criminal cartel of police officers in Zone 13 Ukpo and Anambra State CID Annex (former Awkuzu SARS), involved in unlawful detention, torture and extrajudicial killing, stealing and conversion of property of executed detainees in their custody.
“The Nigeria Police Force had invited to the Force Headquarters the accused police officers including Chief Superintendent of Police Patrick Chukwuemeka Agbazue, who is a former O/C SARS, Awkuzu and currently the Commander of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu; a Superintendent of Police, Princess Nwode Nkeiruka, who is a former Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Anambra State Police Command and currently the PPRO for Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo; and Inspector Harrison Akama, also attached to the RRS, Awkuzu, Anambra State, among others. They were allowed to go home the same day.
“Their accuser and whistleblower has been arrested and detained at the Force Headquarters. The Force PRO announced that an investigation team set up by the IGP to investigate the allegations by the whistleblower is currently investigating the allegations.
“Civil society is closely monitoring the investigation of both the allegations against the police officers and the whistleblower who has been arrested and currently in custody.
“The investigation of both sides must be transparent, impartial, exhaustive and effective. The detained whistleblower must not be subjected to any form of torture or Ill-treatment. He must be accorded all the due process guarantees and safeguards against abuse of his fundamental human rights. The IGP should facilitate for him access to legal support as mandated by the Police Act.
“We want to see the truth unravelled and justice done. There should be no cover-up or shielding of any person found to be involved in any crime.”
