Group writes Abia Police Commissioner over repression, unlawful detention of citizens

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has alerted the Abia State Police Commissioner, Janet Agbede, over the unlawful detention of one Victor Ogbonna in Umuahia, the state capital, on the orders of CSP Remi Chukwuani over a civil dispute, and denial of the detainee’s fundamental rights including access to his lawyer.

The letter, signed by Okechukwu Nwanguma, RULAAC Executive Director, categorically asked for the CP’s urgent intervention. It specifically stated as follows: “RULAAC writes to respectfully bring to your attention the unlawful and unprofessional conduct of CSP Remi Chukwuani, Inspr. Sylvester Ike and other police officers under your command and to request you to call them to order and to save a citizen from victimization, oppression and abuse of power by these officers.

“On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 RULAAC received information that some Police officers attached to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Abia State Police Command, led by Inspector Sylvester Ike, came to Lagos in the early hours and arrested one Victor Ogbonna. The officers presented no warrant even when requested. They said they were sent by CSP Remi Chukwuani, the officer in charge of the Anti-kidnapping Unit to arrest Victor.

“When we inquired from Inspr Ike about Victor’s offence, he said ‘advance fee fraud’.

“They took him to Ifako Police Station in Kosofe Local Government Area Lagos, where he was detained until the next day before they took him in his own car to Umuahia and have since detained him at the Central Police Station (CPS) Umuahia and his car confiscated and parked at the station.

“We were informed that Mr. Remi Chukwuani was angry with the accused because the detainee refused to report based on telephone invitation and had asked for a formal invitation for him to be sure it was an official invitation. He threatened to ‘deal with him’ and ordered his detention immediately upon arrival.

“The next day, a lawyer appeared for the detainee but was not allowed access to his client. It took the intervention of the Police Public Relations Officer before the lawyer could see him yesterday. Victor’s wife has to pay some money each time before she would be allowed to see her husband, even to give him food.

“She later informed us that contrary to the alleged offence of ‘advance fee fraud’ which Inspr Ike told us, the Police officers presented her husband with an “Agreement’ of a transaction between Victor’s deceased brother and the complainant. They wanted Victor to pay a certain debt the complainant claimed Victor’s deceased brother owed him before he died.

“Till this date, the complainant has not shown up, instead one other man known as Ikenna who is the complainant’s friend and who previously called Victor and threatened that they will deal with him, came with one other man to the station and were asking Victor how he wanted them to settle the matter in order for him not to remain in detention indefinitely. They also suggested to him to give up his car which previously belonged to his deceased brother in order to be released.

“It is clear that the complainant who is demanding that Victor pays him unverified debts allegedly owed him by his deceased brother is working in collusion with CSP Remi Chukwuani and others to intimidate Victor in order to pay the debt, extort money from him and/or take his car away from him.

“It is unbecoming of a senior police officer of the rank of a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) to compromise and bring the name of the police to disrepute by abusing his police powers and dabbling into a civil dispute that ought to be resolved by the court. It is nothing short of wickedness for the officers to arrest, detain beyond lawful duration, and subject an innocent citizen to suffering and intimidation to part with his money and car.”

RULAAC requested the Commissioner of Police to call CSP Remi Chukwuani and others to order and order the immediate and unconditional release of Victor Ogbonna.