Rights group wants investigation into alleged police corruption

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, was urged yesterday to investigate a petition sent to his office by a Nigerian-American citizen, Mr Bonaventure Ezekwenna.

The petition alleges corrupt practices by some top police officers at the headquarters in Abuja.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), which made the call, said the allegations are so serious that if confirmed, the police officers involved should be sanctioned to safeguard national security.

The group, through its National Coordinator Emmanuel Onwubiko, called on the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, LateefFagbemi (SAN), to investigate the matter.

HURIWA wants to determine if there are grounds for prosecution and sanctions in accordance with the rule of law, even as it drew attention to the current administration’s focus on respecting the rule of law.

It said the Police Service Commission must play a central role in staging its own independent probe with a view to bringing any indicted person to justice .

HURIWA said it received the petition from Ezekwenna and, after reviewing its contents, decided to urge the Minister of Justice to thoroughly examine the presentation and take appropriate action to prosecute individuals suspected of assisting and supporting fraudsters in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

The group started that the petitioner accused the alleged police officer of suppressing the damaging statements the Benin Republic gang-member made at SCID Lagos and FCID Alagbon Lagos in which he allegedly revealed the criminal activities of his group at Nnobi town, Amichi town and other surrounding towns in Anambra State.