RULAAC Demands Probe Of Police Officers, Units Allegedly Involved In Extra-Judicial Killings, Organ Harvesting

Recently, reports emerged that some Nigerian police formations and units in the South-East and Abuja, the nation’s capital territory, Abuja, have allegedly been carrying out horrifying acts of crime.

They were accused of engaging in organ harvesting business with the backing of powerful business executives and top police officers at the Force Headquarters.

A reliable police source told SaharaReporters on Tuesday, that a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP Patrick, who had been accused of involvement in kidnapping and extra-judicial killing of suspects in police custody in Anambra State Command was among the ring gang of police organ harvesting and trading cartel.

Another officer allegedly involved in the organ harvesting cartel is the Commander, Enugu anti-cult police unit, one DSP Ekeneme, the source said, adding that “Police Tiger base in Owerri, SWAT in Port Harcourt, Police Anti-cult Unit Enugu and Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and Special Tactical Squad (STS) Abuja, were major formations and units where the cartel are dominant.”

However, in a joint statement the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center (RULAAC) and Anambra State Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF) issued on Tuesday, a copy of which made available to SaharaReporters, the groups called for a thorough overhaul of many police units that continue to be run by criminally minded police officers the same ways that the disbanded SARS were run which over time, built up public anger and triggered the #EndSARS rebellion, which the aftermath has continued to hunt the Nigeria Police and the country in general. 

Tagged: “The Looming Specter of Another #End SARS Rebellion. On The Reported Existence of a Police Criminal Ring Comprising key officers of Zone 13, Police Command, Ukpo and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, Anambra State, allegedly involved in illegal detention, kidnapping, extrajudicial killing and human organ harvesting and trade,” the civic groups cited the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 which stated “it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law…’’

The statement jointly signed by Executive Director, RULAAC and Coordinator, PSPF; Okechukwu Nwanguma and Prince Chris Azor respectively, partly read, “The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Center (RULAAC) and Anambra State Police Stakeholders Partnership Forum (PSPF) are following with keen interest, the shocking revelations trending on social media about the existence of a criminal ring comprising some police officers and others in Anambra State allegedly involved in illegal detention, kidnapping, extrajudicial killing and human organ harvesting and trading.

“They are reported to be notorious for the serial criminal acts of killing accused persons in their custody and then taking over their money and property.

“We recall that PSPF had addressed a petition dated January 28, 2023 calling for investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death in the custody of the SCID Annex, Awkuzu of an accused person Uchenna James Okafor sometime in December 2022. PSPF had also called for an autopsy to resolve the controversy over the actual cause of death of the victim. That petition is yet to be acknowledged till date and the petitioners have no information about any action taken in response to their petition. Public demand for a transparent investigation of the suspicious death has been ignored.

“It is pertinent to point out that the SCID Annex, Awkuzu is the former notorious SARS Awkuzu where numerous human rights atrocities were documented. After it was converted to SCID Annex, the atrocities of the inglorious days of the notorious SARS have continued to be committed at that concentration death camp. The current Head of the SCID Annex Awkuzu, Patrick Agbazue was the last Commander of Awkuzu SARS before it was converted to the annex of the Anambra State CID which he also heads and has continued to superintend over atrocious acts at the centre.”

“RULAAC and PSPF have in the past received and actually interfaced with some of the senior officers mentioned in the very scandalous allegations and have also written petitions and reports to police authorities implicating some of the officers for similar crime allegations.

“Allegations of likely involvement of some police officers in arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, extrajudicial killing and organ harvesting are also not new.”

It added, “In several interviews that RULAAC has had with former detainees and survivors or family members of victims of Awkuzu SARS, the allegation of likely harvesting of, and trading in, human parts always came up.

“A report of a fact-finding mission in 2021 by a coalition of civil society groups under the aegis of the Action Group on Free Civic Space detailed the atrocities perpetrated by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The report documented evidence and patterns of torture as well as the identities of the operatives responsible.

“The report also focused attention on Awkuzu, the deadliest unit of SARS in Nigeria—and Enugu, documenting the personal experiences and eye-witness accounts of several victims and indigenes of the communities who were terrorized and dehumanised by SARS operatives in the two states.”

They however, called the IGP to ensure that all the accused police officers and others responsible for corruption and human rights violations should be investigated and brought to account, adding that some of them have reportedly boasted that "power passes power", after their curious release from custody at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

“We also welcome the Anambra State Governor, Mr. Charles Soludo's directive to the Attorney General of the State to call for and review all case files with allegations of human rights abuses handled by Police Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo, and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu.

“We call on Governor Soludo to implement the recommendations in the report of the Anambra State #EndSARS Panel submitted to his office in March, 2022. This will be in line with his manifesto in which he made this a priority.”