TIME TO SANITISE IMO STATE POLICE COMMAND HEADQUARTERS: SACK COMMISSIONER OF POLICE MR. ALOYSIUS OKORIE FOR SUPERINTENDING OVER CORRUPTION AND EGREGIOUS ABUSES, AND FOR HIS BRAZEN PARTISANSHIP AND INEPTITUDE.

The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) is a network of 46 civil society organizations spread across Nigeria, and committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights. It was established in 2000 to provide opportunity for civil society involvement in police reform, and the promotion of safety, security and justice in Nigeria. NOPRIN carries out its mandate through monitoring, field research and investigation, documentation, publication, campaign and advocacy. NOPRIN partners with national, international, governmental and intergovernmental organizations and institutions in implementing its programs aimed at transforming law enforcement institutions and practices in Nigeria.

NOPRIN writes to you over continuing alarming incidences of egregious human rights abuses and corruption in Imo State Police Headquarters and the complicity, partisanship and ineptitude of the CP in these crimes and abuses. There have been several complaints that Imo State Police routinely execute kidnap suspects without trial.

It is public knowledge that kidnapping and armed robbery plague Imo State and other states in the Southeast region; but it would appear that framing up people and arresting them for alleged involvement in kidnapping has became an easy pretext for the Imo police to extort and kill at will, especially people who are unable to pay bribe to buy their freedom. In some cases collusion between operatives in Imo State Police Headquarters and a group called the 'IGP Boys' has been reported. Most victims of extrajudicial killings in Imo State are kidnap and armed robbery suspects.

NOPRIN is concerned about the partisan role of the Imo CP in this whole episode. It is strongly suspected that the Police Commissioner is aiding the state governor in using kidnapping as a means to repress political opponents and critics of the governor. Many opposition elements have been kidnapped or had their parents or other relatives kidnapped. As we informed you in one of our previous petitions to you,

'Magnus Orjiakor, Chairman of the faction of the State PDP opposed to Ohakim's 'bad and insensitive leadership' was attacked and beaten to unconsciousness by the governor's hit squad which took away his car and left him for dead.

The same car snatched from Mr. Orjiakor was used to kidnap Mr. Stanford Onyirimba's aged and ailing mother. Mr. Onyirimba's mother was held for 32 days and died 4 days after she was released by her abductors. The abductors have also warned Mr. Onyirimba, former majority leader in the Imo State House of Assembly and governorship aspirant to 'leave town with (his) entire family' or risk elimination.

Eze Ohiri, a traditional ruler in Mabitoli Local Government, opposed the governor's plan to return Eze Ilomuanya as the Chairman of Imo State Counsel of Traditional Rulers. The Governor went ahead to appoint Eze Ilomuanya. On the eve of Eze Ilomuanya's swearing in ceremony, kidnappers struck at Eze Ohiri's home, abducted him and killed his father and brother on the spot. He was held hostage for 4 weeks.

NOPRIN has already written several petitions to the IGP and PSC on some of these cases illustrating the involvement of the Imo CP in partisan policing and crime without any action to address them.

Arresting 'Kidnapers' as Business.

Jude Agha: Arrested, detained for five months and 'Transferred to Abuja'

One Jude Agha was arrested and disappereared after over five months in illegal detention at Imo State Police Headquarters. Police branded Jude a kidnapper because someone whom the police arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap an expatriate had pleaded with the police to take him to his friend-Jude Agha to give him a message to pass on to his family about his arrest. On getting to Jude Agha's house, the police arrested him also and he was detained along with others and disapperared from police custody after over five months, without trial. The case of Jude Agha is illustrative of the unspeakable horror and pogrom going on in Imo State Police Command under Aloysius Okorie as CP. This is why NOPRIN is concerned about the continued detention of citizen Okpo Okoro in the custody of the self-same Imo State Police Headquarters, Owerri after accusing him of kidnapping, shooting him on the leg and denying him access to medical care while in custody since February.

THE CASE OF OKPO OKORO

NOPRIN is informed that Okpo Okoro, a HND 11 student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State, and a native of Agbagwu village in Arochukwu, Local Government Area, Abia State was arrested on February 3, 2010 at about 9:30 a.m. by armed policemen and members of Nekede vigilante group. The police and vigilante members stormed into Okpo Okoro's off-campus residence in the outskirts of Nekede village. He was not at home at the time, as he was writing one of his first semester examinations in school. The operatives arrested two of his friends who were in his room namely, Udokah Nte and Jude Nkerenwa. The operatives also confiscated Okpo Okoro's property found in his room, and shot one of his friends, Udoka Nteh on the leg and dumped him in the boot of their vehicle. They drove them to the school and arrested Okpo Okoro from the exam hall, and also shot him on the leg. The operatives drove the three of them to the Imo State Police Headquarters Owerri, and detained them in the cell of the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB).

Upon hearing about Okpo Okoro's arrest, shooting and detention, his relations and friends rushed down to the Police Headquarters to ascertain what offence the arrested boys committed. The police informed them that the boys were involved in “kidnapping”. The Police officers also told Okpo Okoro's relations that they were not the ones handling the case, and that the investigating police officer (IPO) traveled to Abuja. Later, Okpo Okoro was transferred to the Crack Squad cell.

Since his detention, Okpo Okoro has not received any medical attention for the wounds he sustained from police gun shot on his leg. He has been under severe pains and face the risk of having the leg amputated due to forming a gangrene. All the pleas by Okpo Okoro's relatives that the police should allow them to provide him medical attention have fallen on deaf ears.

One Inspector Oliver of the Crack Squad, with telephone number – 08034708310 who was later re-assigned as the IPO, told Okpo Okoro's relations that it was the 'Inspector General of Police boys' ('IGP boys') that arrested their son and handed him over to the Imo State Police Command. Inspector Oliver also told them that the 'IGP boys' would come back, and that they should continue to come to the station to check. They have been coming to the State Headquarters repeatedly without seeing any of the 'IGP boys', and the IPO has continued to feed on their desperation by extorting several sums of money from them, in order, ostensibly, to 'help them' in the case.

Upon pressure from the family members, Inspector Oliver gave the name and phone number of the 'main person among the IGP boys at the Force Headquarters' as CSP Nwagbara with telephone number 08037201628. He is said to be the officer in charge of the case in Abuja.

Efforts by Counsel to Okpo Okoro, whose name was given as Barrister Christian (with telephone number 08037805822) to prevail on CSP Nwagbara to come down to Owerri and hasten up investigations with a view to determining Okpo Okoro's involvement or otherwise in the alleged kidnapping, and to allow his relations take him to hospital for treatment and removal of the bullets lodged in his legs have met brick walls.

More than three months after arrest and detention, Okpo Okoro and the others are yet to be charged to court or released, but are left to languish in illegal detention. Okpo Okoro has missed his first semester examinations, and faces the risk of losing a whole academic year.

Following phone calls to CSP Nwagbara to either charge the detainees to court or free them, the CSP transferred Okpo Okoro from the Crack Squad cell to the CID cell.

NOPRIN is informed that Inspector Oliver and CSP Nwagbara have been working in cahoots in this “business” of conniving to frame up and arrest innocent people on allegations of kidnapping, since suspected kidnapers are endangered species in Imo State Police Command Headquarters; and allegation of kidnapping an easy means of settling scores or dealing with enemies.

These two officers are alleged to collect sums of money ranging from N250,000 to N500,000 in order to free 'kidnapping suspects' Often those who cannot pay are summarily executed or left to rot in the cell, as in the case of Okpo Okoro who has remained in custody because his relations are unable to produce a bribe of N300,000 to Inspector Oliver and CSP Nwagbara.

All these abuses are perpetrated under the command and watchful eyes of Police Commissioner Aloysius Okorie. In the case of Jude Agha, the CP was very much aware of the case and did nothing.

Someone who saw Okpo Okoro recently in the cell informed NOPRIN that his leg is now deformed. He has also consistently maintained his innocence of the kidnap allegation. Okpo Okoro also revealed to the source that so many persons are being held on false allegations of kidnapping, and once any one of them is able to pay N300, 000, the person is freed.

This case once again underscores NOPRIN's position that the police in Imo State under the leadership of Aloysius Okorie pose a serious threat to the lives and safety of Imo citizens. In Imo State, anyone can be branded a kidnapper, and extorted or killed. This on its own, amounts to kidnapping innocent citizens in the name of arrest, and extorting money from them.

Who are these IGP boys that are involved in “affecting” the arrest of kidnappers and detaining them at the State Command Headquarters and never ensure that their cases are promptly and impartially investigated? Is the IGP aware of the 'IGP Boys'?

NOPRIN is informed that CSP Nwagbara has demanded the sum of N300,000 from relations of Okpo Okoro to free him. This is an egregious and brazen case of human rights abuse and corruption.

NOPRIN hereby calls on the Police Service Commision to investigate this case of arrest of Okpo Okoro and others, shooting them on the legs and detaining them indefinitely. The PSC is also called upon to investigate the criminal and illegal practice of framing people up with allegations of kidnapping, arresting them, extorting money from them and either killing or living those who cannot pay to rot in cell.

The roles of Inspector Oliver (of the Crack Squad, Imo Stae Police Headquarters) with telephone number 08034708310 and CSP Nwagbara (of the FCID Force Headquarters) with telephone number 08037201628 shoiuld be unraveled.

The CP Imo, Aloysius Okorie should be appropriately disciploined for failure to check the excesses of men under his command, and for complicity in some cases.