CLO ANAMBRA THREATENS MASS PROTEST AGAINST THE POLICE OVER BRUTALITY OF IT'S SECRETARY

CLO ANAMBRA THREATENS MASS PROTEST AGAINST THE POLICE
OVER BRUTALITY OF IT'S SECRETARY

14 Orlu Street Fegge
P.O Box 14883
Onitsha
Anambra State
21st July, 2011.

Mr. Mukhtari Ibrahim,
Commissioner of Police,
Anambra State Command,
Awka.

Sir,
THREE WEEKS AFTER BRUTALISING COMRADE JUSTUS IJEOMA OF THE CLO, INDICTED OFFICERS AND MEN OF FEGGE POLICE DIVISION STILL PROWLS WITH IMPUNITY

The above subject matter refers:
Find enclosed here, copy of the petition written by our sister organization, The International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (INTERSOCIETY) on the brutality meted on our secretary, Comrade Justus Ijeoma by the DCO 2 of Fegge Police Station Onitsha, DSP Adeniyi Agboola and his men.
Comrade Justus Ijeoma performs the dual role of the Branch Secretary of the CLO Anambra and the Head, Publicity Desk of Intersociety.

Though we did not want to engage in unnecessary duplicity in forwarding another petition over the subject matter since INTER-

SOCEITY has taken the initiative; we are compelled by recent developments over the matter to forward this petition so as to call for your expedient action on the unfortunate incident.

Torrents of reports pouring into our office coupled with eye witness accounts by our members have revealed that the DCO2 and his boys have continued to engage in unbridled extortion, intimidation and dehumanization of suspects in a reckless proportion.
He has declared Comrades Justus Ijeoma and Alex Olisa persona-non-grata to his office and has continued to brag that he’s untouchable which emboldened him to continue in serial violation of citizen’s human rights.

On the 14th of July 2011, report came to our secretariat, seeking for our intervention that one Miss Justina Okoli (19) (07066853878) has been detained at Fegge Police Station for the past 8 days (7th to 14th July) Upon intervention by our secretary, enquiries revealed that Justina was a sales clerk at Bridge Head market. She unfortunately fell into the hands of fraudsters who hypnotized her and she gave some hundreds of thousands of naira belonging to her master to the fraudsters. The master reported the incident to Fegge Police Station and the IPO, Corporal Innocent (08065496492) on the instruction of the same DSP Agboola, the DCO2 went haywire.
For a bailable offence, Miss Justina was detained for 8 days until the CLO intervened. In apparent disregard to the law of vicarious liability, other family members of Justina were also declared wanted.
Obioma Okoli, Justina’s brother was arrested and detained for 2 days and was taken on bail when the sum of N10,000 exchanged hands. Clement (08054428180) another brother to Justina was declared wanted when the police couldn’t get him physically. Amarachi (08035011440) sister to Justina was also clamped into detention for 3 days (12-14th July) when she brought food to the station for her detained sister. Their aged mother, Mrs. Felicia Okoli was also declared wanted by the police.

Until the CLO though our Comrade, Ijeoma intervened on the 14th of July, the entire family was under siege by the men of Fegge Police Station and they would have remained so for God-knows-when, or till the police become tired of milking them of all their earnings.
The IPO, Corporal Innocent (08065496492) who said he is working under the instruction of his Oga, the DCO2 (Agboola) from our findings just bought a new Toyota Camry valued at N1.1 million on Saturday 16th July 2011 probably from the proceeds of illicit money so far collected from those he was supposed to protect.

Last week, DSP Agboola also changed/ removed old properties inside his office and replaced/refurbished the office with new sets of television, DVD Players etc. and has been bragging that “nothing dey happen”.

Three weeks before they brutalized our secretary, other members who visited the station reported how they saw where suspects were beaten mercilessly and their two hands tied together with rubber tubes like “condemned criminals” sentenced to death during the era of Bakassi Boys.

WHY WE NEED YOUR TIMELY INTERVENTION
It is often said that any society without conscientious objectors is dead. When the moral fiber of the society is decayed and there is nobody to raise objection and challenge the situation, then all hope is lost.
The continuous struggle by activists under the umbrella of the Civil Liberties Organisation is not anchored on self glorification or personal gains.
It is for the liberation of citizens of Anambra State from the shackles of oppression, megalomaniacs and violators of human rights. When fighters and human right leaders in the mould of Comrade Ijeoma are brutalized and cowed into submission without any sanction to the perpetrators, then the clear and present danger is that those at the lower rung of the society are finished.
Truth hurts, but it must be spoken. The silence of the DPO of Fegge police station CSP Tafida Saleh when his men were mass- beating Comrade Ijeoma while he sat under the cool ambience of his office doing nothing is not only a sign of culpability but an indictment on his career that he has compromised .
For the DCO2, DSP Adeniyi Agboola to remain obstinate since he committed this bestial act on our comrade and refuses to grant our comrades access to his public office since then shows a clear case of insubordination, high handedness and pursuit of personal vendetta .
We therefore call for the umpteenth time, the immediate removal of both the DPO, CSP Tafida Saleh and DCO2, DSP Adeniyi Agboola of Fegge divisional command and their recall to the State Command headquarters pending their next fate.
While we commend the DCO 1 of the division, SP Justina Okafor for all the spirited efforts she made to rescue Comrade Ijeoma from the marauders, we wish to bring to your notice that because of her courage to condemn what was wrong, she has been completely relegated to the background in the division. The DPO and the DCO2 have not only stripped her unofficially of her officially assigned duties but she is now treated as a ceremonial Superintendent of Police. She is been bypassed in all official capacity by the duo of CSP Tafida and DSP Agboola.
Today in Fegge police station, suspects who have the courage to invite human rights activists to intervene in their matters are being unnecessarily victimized and their matters delayed on frivolous grounds, their offence being that they dared to invite activists to come and spoil “business” for them.
Traders from various markets within the Bridge Head Axis like the Building materials, Medicine Dealers, Iron Rod Dealers and Carpenters Tools section etc. are facing daily harrowing experiences from the hands of men and officers of Fegge Police Station.
Every nooks and crannies from Upper Iweka/Portharcourt Road axis, down to Miss Elems street and parts of Bridge Head are dotted with all shades of policemen from the division who intimidate and harass traders daily.
We therefore call for the setting up an independent team from the state command that shall monitor cases of suspects in different cells within the division. This will give an insight to the harrowing experiences of citizens in the hands of the police.

Tales from different divisions within Onitsha area have not been palatable too. From CPS Onitsha, Okpoko division, Iyiowa areas also have been anything but good. We are collecting more records and we wish to warn that if no decisive steps are taken immediately concerning the perpetrators of this dastardly act on our Comrade and other sundry complaints, the members of Civil Liberties Organization, Anambra State branch will embark on public protest to drive home our points and pass the message across. Such moves of ours, we dare say, will not be good for the image of the state police command.
We also stand by the eight point demands made by our sister organization, the INTERSOCIETY over this matter.
The N10,000 collected from Obioma Okoli (08030971027) before his release from detention by Corporal Innocent (08065496492) should be refunded while the Corporal should be punished for corruption.
Trusting in your speedy attention to the aforementioned issues highlighted.

Signed for the CLO

Comrade Aloysius Attah Comrade Ezema, Simeon
Chairman, Anambra State Branch Treasurer, Anambra State Branch
08035090548 08097403844

CC:
The Inspector General of Police, F.C.T Abuja
The AlG zone 9 Umuahia Abia State
The Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission, Abuja
The Chairman, Police Service Commission, FCT
Executive Director, Human Rights Watch NY . USA