HURIWA calls for sack, redeployment of Anambra policemen

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), yesterday, asked police authorities to sack officers responsible for heinous activities of extra-judicial killings, abduction, extortion, amongst other unprofessional conducts recently uncovered in the state.

The civil rights advocacy group, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, asked the Anambra State government to set up an independent judicial commission of inquiry on the allegations of human organ trafficking and extra-judicial execution of persons by a cartel within the police tank and file in the state.

The group said the investigation by the police wouldn’t produce any fruit as ‘thieves can’t investigate thieves’ and someone can’t be a prosecutor and a judge in a case.

Force Spokesman, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in a statement, on Tuesday, had said a Special Investigation Panel is investigating allegations of extra-judicial killings, extortion, unprofessionalism, and highhandedness against police officers of the state Command.

The police also reassured the public that the Anambra Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, will be reorganised and sanitised, and that the exercise will be extended to other tactical squads in the force.

The police also said officers fingered in the trending allegations were never arrested or detained, but were summoned to the Force Headquarters for interrogation, following an alarm raised by a blogger.

Onwubiko said: “The revelations from the police in Anambra, again, tell that no reform or convincing developments have occurred in the Nigeria Police Force after the EndSARS nationwide protests against police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

“It is shameful that the police, which ought to protect the people, are now hunters of human flesh.
“HURIWA condemns the despicable acts and calls for mass sack, redeployment of all police operatives from Anambra, and allow for injection of fresh police operatives that are not contaminated by the lure for illicit money and extortion of Igbo traders, who are often ready to pay to ensure their time are not wasted by police officers.
“The state Police Command is said to be very juicy like Lagos, Port Harcourt and Kano, because of political patronage, side hustling such as running errands and protecting homes and individuals that are ready to pay the commissioner handsomely for illegal guard duties.”