Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! - Crime - Nairaland
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| Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Emperoh(m): 9:12am On Dec 10, 2009 |
With the recent recent rating by Amnesty International, accussing the Nigerian Police of Extra-judicial killings, I am bringing to Nairalander, as many stories as was published in the Dailies in Just ONE DAY on the unwholesome activities of the Nigerian Police Force. . . . .how long will allthese continue? Why do we allow such people into the Police force? Is there any hope of all these stopping? People when will we rise up to say NO to all these Human Rights Abuse? Pls read and see for yourself what the people employed to give us security do to us!!! First One from Thisday Newspapers. [size=18pt]Mass Burial for 82 Corpses Dumped by Police in Enugu[/size] The University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, has concluded plans to carry out mass burial for the 82 corpses that were dumped at the hospital by the police. The hospital authorities have also expressed dismay at the action of the police, saying that the situation is compelling them to compromise standards. Speaking in an interview with THISDAY at the hospital premises located along Ituku-Ozalla in Enugu, the Chief Medical Director, Dr Anthony Mbah, expressed worry at the rate at which police officers dump corpses at the hospital. He stressed that if nothing was urgently done, both workers, patients and visitors to the hospital might flee the place as a result of the stench from the hospital mortuary. The police command in the state has however denied knowledge of the situation in the hospital, stating that the hospital management was yet to communicate it on the development, while denying that some of the corpses were victims of extra-judicial killings by the police. Mbah who spoke through the Head of Public Relations, Mr. Cyril Keneze, noted that all efforts to get the relevant authorities to find lasting solution to the situation which had become worrisome had fallen on deaf ears, as the police in the state were yet to respond to the petitions already forwarded to them. He disclosed that the hospital spends close to N144 million weekly on diesel to run the five gigantic generators in its possession and as such is not ready to cough out additional funds for the disposal of the corpses. “We are under obligation to co-operate with the police by accepting the corpses they bring to the hospital. But the problem now is that the number of corpses that are dumped here is beginning to adversely affect the capacity of our morgue. To adequately keep these corpses without jeopardising the chances of other corpses whose causes of deaths are natural has indeed become a problem," he explained. He disclosed that the capacity for corpses that could be refrigerated in the hospital mortuary is 60, while those that are embalmed and kept without refrigeration is put at 100. He added that with a total of 82 corpses from the police, the hospital could no longer cope, more so when it is required to admit others that come from the hospital wards and in some cases from road accidents. “Nobody is coming to claim these corpses; even the police will just dump them and leave without caring of its implication to the hospital. To dispose them requires huge amount of money, that’s why we keep more than required in the hospital morgue. Because of the long delay in carting them away, some of them decay and the odour that comes from there is quite unpleasant,” Keneze stated. On what could be the cause of the deaths of the victims, the hospital said it was not duty bound to ascertain the reason for death, insisting that the police remained a legitimate authority to convey corpses to the hospital. He however stated that from the record usually provided by police officers who convey such corpses to the hospital, it was clear that most of them were armed robbers and hoodlums who engage the police in shoot-outs, while some others usually brought by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were people who lost their lives in road accidents. Efforts to get into the hospital mortuary to get pictures of the 84 corpses due to be buried soon were initially rebuffed by the mortuary attendants who insisted on getting a formal approval letter from the management. But when THISDAY was finally allowed entry after several hours of pleading, the stench from the place made it impossible to go in. The State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Zarewa, could not be reached to react to the development at the hospital. But the command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Ebere Amarizu, said they were yet to recieve any formal complaint from the hospital authorities. He however denied the allegations that most of the corpses were victims of police extra-judicial killings as alleged in a BBC report. http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=161617 |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Emperoh(m): 9:28am On Dec 10, 2009 |
Sequel to the last sentence in the First post, the BBC has infilterated their ranks and exposed their acts in the same Enugu. . . . .Terrible equipment, lack of motivation, frustration and out-right unintelligence. They can't even investigate crimes!!!! Here's the BBC's Andrew Walker's report!! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7986039.stm [size=18pt]On patrol with Nigeria's police[/size] In the first of a series of articles looking at policing in Nigeria, the BBC's Andrew Walker goes on a patrol with the newly formed, elite Specialist Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) in the eastern city of Enugu. With machine-gun at the ready, a policeman flags down a car with his torch. "You! Out Now!" he barks. The driver wordlessly complies, standing with hands raised before being asked, the routine is now so familiar. What kind of human being are we working with, we needed back-up! Who polices the police? The Nigerian police have a terrible reputation for corruption and brutality. But they also have problems with their technical capacity to fight crime. The main method used by this elite unit of police officers is to stop cars at random looking for guns. "When criminals see us, their behaviour changes. We're looking for people who try and run from us," Sars' Commanding Officer Stephen Osaghae told the BBC. Their aggressive manner, which includes pointing loaded automatic weapons at drivers who have done nothing to arouse suspicion, is necessary, they say. "You have to make everyone think when Sars are around, they are the owners of the job," says Inspector Olawole Ohiolebo. On the night the BBC was out with them, Sars did not find any weapons. Mr Osaghae admits there is probably a better way of catching armed robbers. "But we don't have the equipment. In Europe you have helicopters and other sophisticated gadgets, we don't." Chase At one of the patrol stops, a van approaching them does a quick u-turn. It's the moment the police have been waiting for. But it takes them too long to get into their truck and by the time they are in pursuit, the van has gone. The radio they have doesn't work properly and they can't inform other police of where they are for several minutes. Only one truck has been pursuing the suspects. When they meet up with their second police car, Mr Osaghae is furious. "What kind of human being are we working with? We needed back-up!" he yells at his men. They return to the barracks without making any arrests. Ambush The life of a policeman in Nigeria is dangerous. A few weeks before the BBC caught up with the men from Sars, their patrol was ambushed by a gang. The robbers we come up against have sophisticated weapons, better than ours Someone sent them into a trap. Their pick-up truck was blown up with dynamite placed by the side of the road. Three officers were killed in the gunfight that followed. Inspector Godspower points to a line shaved into his scalp. "The bullet went here. Fsst!" He motions over his head, tracing the path of the shot that nearly killed him. Another one went right through his arm. The police officers say armed robbers are unredeemable evil misfits who smoke marijuana to dull their senses, kill without remorse and use black magic charms to protect themselves. Patrolmen say Enugu's robbers are led by a notorious bandit called Ngukelomo, who has political connections which have enabled him to be released from custody in the past. Capacity Some of the men admit to being afraid they might one day get killed. "The robbers we come up against have sophisticated weapons, better than ours. We have no bulletproof vests. We need better equipment to protect us," says patrolman Tiku, a 34-year-old officer who has been with the police for 10 years. Kemi Okenyodo, of police reform group the Cleen Foundation, says the police need more than just expensive gadgets to improve their ability to work effectively. "The police capacity to investigate crime is next to zero," she says. Officers are not trained in policing techniques - if they do have qualifications, they are often irrelevant to police work, she says. Nowhere is the police's lack of capacity more evident, reformers say, than in the interrogation of suspects. Interrogation Back at the Sars office the next day, two suspects are brought to Mr Osaghae's office. One, a young man is accused of organising the despoil and robbery of a woman who lives in a building he used to guard. Police have been accused of torture and executing suspects "You will take us to your accomplices," orders Mr Osaghae. "I don't know who you are talking about," says the man. "Why are you lying? Take him back to the cells. In 15 minutes you will tell the truth," says Mr Osaghae. When asked what he meant by that, he refuses to elaborate. Before speaking to another suspect, Mr Osaghae asks for 15 minutes alone with him. When the BBC is let back in the room, the man tearfully confesses to being a kidnapper. Mrs Okenyodo says the Cleen Foundation has pictures and witness statements that accuse Sars police of torture and killing of suspects. Enugu Commissioner of Police Mohammed Zarewa denies his men beat confessions out of people - the deaths are likely to be as a result of fire-fights with armed criminals, he says. "Any criminal can get a lawyer and make up a story," he says. Mr Zarewa has just been posted to Enugu, and he promises to investigate any accusation levelled against his officers. But Mrs Okenyodo says none of the cases brought up by police reform activists have been investigated. "The East of Nigeria, in terms of policing, is crazy," she says. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Emperoh(m): 9:36am On Dec 10, 2009 |
And then, the Grace Ushang Saga!! U can imagine a CP saying despoil was not an option. . . . I don't know how they think!!  Really disgusting!! Pls read!!http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article04//indexn2_html?pdate=101209&ptitle=Reps want Borno CP removed over corps member's death [size=18pt]Reps Want Borno CP Removed Over Corps Member's Death [/size] APPARENTLY enraged by what it called poor handling of the investigation into the recent gruesome murder of Miss Grace Ushang, a National Youth Service Corps member, by the Borno State Police Command, members of the House of Representative yesterday called for the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police in the state. They also rejected the autopsy report and recommended a fresh investigation into the case as well as the police report, which, they said was laden with "grey areas". Ushang, serving member of the NYSC, was despoiled and murdered in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. Law enforcement agents are yet to fish out her killers, regardless of an order to that effect by the House of Representatives. The lady, a 25 year-old graduate of the University of Calabar, was serving at the El-Kanemi College of Business Administration (ECOBA), Maiduguri before she was murdered on September 27 by unknown persons. She was said to have left her Corps members' lodge residence at about 6.30p.m. in search of food in the neighbourhood, only for her lifeless body to be discovered near a river later that night. Medical reports indicated that the late Ushang, who was found half-unclothed by the riverbank, was physically assaulted and despoiled. The dastardly incident again brought to the fore the issue of insecurity of life in the country and especially the issue of incessant acts of violence against women and young girls. At the commencement of the public hearing on the matter at the National Assembly yesterday, the lawmakers called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo, to "excuse the CP of his responsibilities, because he has not exhibited sufficient professionalism in the police handling of the case." The lawmakers, including chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Binta Masi Garba, Chinedu Eluemonoh, Nkiruka Onyejiachi, Henry Dickson, Beni Lar, Halima Tukur and Juliet Akanu, who spoke at the hearing in Abuja yesterday, took a swipe at the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Abdu for exhibiting ineptitude in the murder case, and called on the IGP to order a fresh investigation into the matter. The police commissioner drew the ire of the lawmakers and spectators who thronged venue of the public hearing on the need to eliminate violence against women organised by the House Committee on Women Affairs when, in his presentation, he said that the police had ruled out despoil of the corps member based on a medical report. His words: "Whether Grace was despoiled as acclaimed from some quarters, my answer to these questions is negative. As investigators, we rely on facts based on the medical report at our disposal, which was put together by combined team of pathologists and youth corps doctors. "As of now, the issue of despoil has been ruled out and the deceased was never in NYSC dress." But reacting in an emotion-laden voice, Chinedu Eluemonoh accused the CP of shielding the truth, insisting that for the police to rule out despoil was not acceptable. "Haba! CP, we are all human beings. For you to conclude that there was no despoil is totally wrong. I have my misgivings and I reject the report completely. We are also disappointed in the Governor, Ali Modu Sherif, for failing in his responsibility as the chief law officer of the state to provide security for the corps members posted to his state. He has not done enough on the matter and we are therefore of the view that the matter be re-started and a second autopsy conducted in order to remove all doubts on the report," he added. Tukur berated the commissioner over his statement, saying: "As far as I am concerned, this report is zero. It is sad to say that three months after, the police are yet to complete investigation. It is sad indeed". Meanwhile, the Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, has threatened that the state would henceforth prevail on the NYSC not to send Cross River indigenes to Borno State on the NYSC programmes. Represented by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Ekama Awara, the governor said the state was not taking the issue lightly as the House of Assembly had already passed a resolution to restrict indigenes of the state from serving the NYSC in Borno, adding that "unless something concrete is done on the matter, the state will no longer send candidates to Borno." |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Emperoh(m): 10:12am On Dec 10, 2009 |
And what about this one also From Thisday Website, necessitated by The Amnesty International's report!! You do be gobsmacked at the rate of Crime the Police get away with. . . . .our Leaders are indeed Asleep!! Enugu seems to be a very Fertile ground for their dastardly acts!! [size=18pt]Murdered By Police[/size] •Amnesty alleges extra-judicial killings but police slam report Amnesty International, a global human rights watchdog, yesterday accused the Nigerian Police of being responsible for hundreds of extra-judicial executions, other unlawful killings and enforced disappearances every year. It also said the majority of the killings go uninvestigated and the police officers responsible go unpunished. However, the Police Force spokesman, DCP Emmanuel Ojukwu, has rejected the findings. In a reaction to the damning allegations, he said: “Amnesty International has an unholy penchant to denigrate police organisations in most parts of the world. It is quite obvious that the mission is to kill the Nigerian police, wipe out our record, and bury our aspirations.” According to the detailed 64-page report, which was released yesterday, Amnesty International alleged that “Police don’t only kill people by shooting them; they also torture them to death, often while they are in detention. ” The global group said one of the main problems is Nigeria Police Force Order 237 under which police officers are allowed to shoot suspects and detainees who attempt to escape or avoid arrest – whether or not they pose a threat to life. It called on the Federal Government to repeal the said Order 237 and publicly announce that the use of lethal force is only allowed when strictly unavoidable to protect life. “This simple step could make a big difference to the number of unlawful police killings we are seeing in Nigeria,” said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme. The report, which documented 39 cases of executions and enforced disappearances over a survey period of three years (from July 2007 to June 2009), also revealed that in June 2009, Amnesty visited the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) detention centre in Abuja, which is located in a disused abattoir outside the city. In a report backed with pictures of victims, graphs and tables of killings, the group disclosed that suspects are held in a vast warehouse previously used for slaughtering cattle. “Chains are still hanging from the ceiling. When Amnesty International delegates visited the building, about 15 people were held in cells. Amnesty International delegates counted at least 30 empty bullet cases scattered on the ground,” it said. The report, which made 59 recommendations to the Federal Government, states, National Assembly, Police Service Commission (PSC), civil society, and international bodies, was based on interviews and research carried out during the three-year survey period. Also, Amnesty’s delegates spoke to police authorities at federal and state levels, Ministry of Police Affairs, PSC, Senate Committees on Police Affairs and Judiciary, Justice and Human Rights. The delegates also reportedly spoke to judges, magistrates, state commissioners of justice and health, public defenders, lawyers and non-governmental human rights organisations (NGOs). They also interviewed family members of people who had been extra-judicially executed by the Police. Research for the report also draws on court cases, coroner’s inquests, judicial inquests, policy documents and the reports of the Presidential Commissions on police reforms (the Dan Madami report in 2006 and the Yusuf report in 2008). “Families of the victims usually get no justice or redress. Most never even find out what happened to their loved ones. Police frequently claim that the victims of shootings were ‘armed robbers’ killed in ‘shoot-outs’ with the police or while trying to escape custody. These claims are often highly implausible,” the report stated. A particular case mentioned in the report referred to one 15-year-old Emmanuel Egbo, who was killed by a police officer in Enugu in September 2008. “According to witnesses, he was playing with other children in front of his uncle’s house when three police officers came up to them; “One officer pulled out a gun and shot the boy, claiming he was an armed robber. He was unarmed. In August 2009, his family discovered his body had disappeared from the mortuary. As of November 2009, the body is still missing,” the report said. Amnesty International also said some police officers see the killings of “armed robbers” in detention as acceptable practice. “Unofficially, a policeman told Amnesty International that many 'armed robbers' are taken there and shot,” the report disclosed. Speaking on the contentious Order, van der Borght said: “Force Order 237 is so impermissibly broad. It simply gives police officers permission to shoot people. It is against international standards, and is being abused by police officers to commit, justify and cover up illegal killings. ” The report also revealed that enforced disappearances in Nigeria are rife. “Typically, in the first days or weeks following arrest, families are allowed to visit their relatives in detention. Later on, police tell them their loved ones have been ‘transferred to Abuja’. Other times, they simply deny any knowledge of their whereabouts; “The Nigerian government says that they do not condone extra-judicial killings. But they are not doing enough to stop them and bring the police perpetrators to justice. Even on the rare occasions when police officers implicated in an unlawful killing are prosecuted, they are often released on bail or escape custody. Some are simply transferred to other states; “Ending unlawful killings and enforced disappearances by the police will require serious legal reform and commitment and support from the Nigerian police force,” said van der Borght. According to him, “The Nigerian Police Force must introduce a new code of conduct throughout its chain of command – from the very top to the bottom. If not, the cycle of violence will simply continue. ” The report described the Nigerian Police as a system that is starved of funds, suffering from chronic lack of resources, with undertrained and unqualified staff, poor working conditions, poor distribution of budget, and poor public image. The report said in Nigeria, the Constitution guarantees the right to compensation. “However, families of victims often cannot seek remedy. Victims of extra-judicial executions and other unlawful police killings in Nigeria are usually people who live in poverty. Those who are executed unlawfully, killed, or disappear in custody are typically men aged between 15 and 45 years,” it said. It recommended that the Police must introduce a new rule of conduct, governed by a respect for human rights, throughout its chain of command, from top to the bottom. “Ending extra-judicial executions, other unlawful killings and enforced disappearances require both a change in the culture of impunity and legal reform,” the report stated. The Federal Government was urged to amend Section 33(2)(b) of the Constitution, which provides for more grounds for lethal force more than those permitted by international human rights law. It was also asked to criminalise torture, extra-judicial executions and enforced disappearances, punishable by sanctions commensurate with the gravity of the practice. The report also recommended that a Federal Coroner’s law should be drafted, which requires an investigation to determine circumstances of unnatural, sudden or violent deaths, including all cases of death in custody. The Federal Government was also urged to abolish all court fees for cases handled on a pro-bono basis when the applicant cannot afford the fees; and to improve access to legal aid, which should include providing resources to the Legal Aid Council in order to appoint more lawyers. The National Assembly was asked to ensure that Section 33(2)(b) of the Constitution is amended, and also domestic laws and regulations governing the use of force by police, including sections of Police Force Order 237. Legislators were also enjoined to review the Police Act and ensure that the treatment of detainees is in conformity with the Nigerian Constitution as well as with international law and standards; and also to ensure that the Police Force receives adequate resources, including funding. State governments were urged to criminalise torture, extra-judicial executions and enforced disappearances; and to establish safe and reliable mechanisms to guarantee the participation of witnesses in the legal process, and to consider the creation of a permanent and effective system for witness protection. The PSC was asked to condemn publicly all extra-judicial executions and other unlawful killings, including of suspected armed robbers, and announce that perpetrators would be brought to justice; and to ensure that appropriate disciplinary measures were taken against law enforcement officials who harass or intimidate human rights activists, lawyers or people making a complaint about police misconduct. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by galatico(m): 12:45pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
Nigerian Police are Killers !!! They are supposed to protect the masses lo and behold they are killing the people they are mean't to protect . |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Emperoh(m): 1:04pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
Here's a chronicle of them all. . . . .as much as was captured!! UNLAWFULLY KILLED DURING POLICE OPERATIONS Chibuike Anams, a student aged 23, was sitting with two friends at a guesthouse in Elimgbu, Rivers State, on 24 July 2009. When the police raided the guest house, he attempted to escape and was shot and died on the spot. His friends were arrested and later released. Chibuike Anams’ family reported him missing at the Police Headquarters in Port Harcourt after he failed to come home. They found out about his death almost a week later after they visited several police stations. The family do not know why the police shot Chibuike Anams, or what crime he was suspected of. There has been no investigation into his death. In the meantime, the police have refused to release the body – at the time of writing, it is still lying in the mortuary. Christian Ugwuoke was attending a wake and procession for his late aunt when he was killed on 27 January 2009. According to eyewitnesses, a police officer in a police patrol vehicle from Suleja Area Command shot at the peaceful crowd of approximately 50 people without prior warning. He seriously injured two people and killed Christian Ugwuoke. Eyewitnesses could not tell why the police officer had fired into the crowd. Christian Ugwuoke was taken to the Suleja Area Commander’s office. The police did not explain what happened, and did not let Christian Ugwuoke’s family know who killed him. UNLAWFULLY KILLED AT POLICE CHECKPOINTS At police checkpoints, commercial drivers are often stopped and asked to pay a bribe. One driver described what happens: “They [the police] stop all vehicles and take money according to weight. Cars pay less than buses. Trailers pay most. If anyone moves, they shoot.” The police often shoot drivers who refuse to pay. They also shoot when there is a disagreement about the price or when it is unclear whether a bribe has been paid. Bystanders sometimes get shot by mistake: on 5 April 2009, a two-year-old girl was accidentally shot by the police at a checkpoint in Lagos. Aneke Okorie, a 39-year-old Okada (motorcycle taxi) rider and a father of four, failed to pay a bribe to the police at a checkpoint in Emene, Enugu State, on 15 May 2009. He was shot and later died on his way to the hospital. An eyewitness told Amnesty International that the police officer shot Aneke Okorie in the stomach and then hanged his gun around his neck, to suggest that the police officer was attacked by an “armed robber”. “I realized the young man was innocent… I instructed the policemen to take the gun off his neck… The man was still alive; he was biting his fingers, he could not talk. He was in pain.” The eyewitness was asked not to speak to the media. However, when radio reports in Enugu State claimed the police had killed an “armed robber”, the eyewitness and community leaders wrote a petition to the IGP saying that Aneke Okorie was innocent and asking for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. Three police officers who were involved in the shooting were arrested as a result. In September, one police officer was dismissed and prosecuted; he is currently awaiting trial. The body was released to the family for burial in September, following a postmortem examination. The postmortem report has not been released to the family at the time of writing. Joseph Onu (not his real name), a commercial driver, was killed by the police in Imo State on 15 December 2008 after he refused to pay a bribe at a roadblock. He drove off but police officers chased him, and he was stopped and shot. The police took him to the hospital, where he later died. An autopsy established that he had died of gunshots. The Imo State Commissioner of Police promised to dismiss the officer involved, but Joseph Onu’s family is unclear whether this has actually happened. UNLAWFULLY KILLED IN A ‘SHOOT-OUT WITH ARMED ROBBERS’ NPF officials often claim that victims were “armed robbers” killed in “shoot-outs” with the police. Amnesty International has reason to believe that many of those killed were extrajudicially executed. “Despite the fact that the scourge of armed robbery plagues much of Nigeria”, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions stated in 2006, “the label of ‘armed robber’ is very often used to justify the jailing and/or extrajudicial execution of innocent individuals.” On 10 August 2006, the police in Aba, Abia State, paraded 12 men labelled as “armed robbers” in front of the media. According to an official statement, four other suspects were killed “in a shoot-out” with the police during the arrests. The bodies of the 12 men were found at a mortuary a day later. The Nigerian government explained their deaths in a letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions: “Upon sighting the police, the suspected robbery gang opened fire and police responded in self defence. During the fierce exchange of gunfire, three of the armed robbery suspects died on the spot while nine others sustained various degrees of injury from the shootout. Before they could be given medical attention, the remaining nine suspects, who survived the shootout died as a result of the injuries they sustained.” This explanation is unlikely as all 12 were paraded alive; some had gunshot injuries. To Amnesty International’s knowledge, no investigation was carried out into these deaths. The 2008 Presidential Committee noted that the NPF treats the numbers of “armed robbers” killed and injured by the police as indicators of success. “Instead of using statistics to measure their performance, they now resort to parading suspects in handcuffs and others killed by them extrajudicially, as ‘armed robbers’, to impress the general public that they are working, when, at that stage the innocence of the suspects should be presumed and their human rights protected by the police.” On 4 September 2007 the then Inspector-General of Police, Mike Mbama Okiro, congratulated the NPF for the “determination, zeal and ferocity with which we have been prosecuting our anti-robbery operations within our country and beyond.” Mike Mbama Okiro announced that between June and August 2007, 785 “armed robbers” were killed. The circumstances of these deaths remain unclear as no independent and impartial investigations were conducted into the exact circumstances of their deaths. ‘HE TRIED TO ESCAPE’: SUSPECTS SHOT AFTER ARREST Some NPF officers regard the killings of “armed robbers” in detention to be acceptable practice. Amnesty International interviewed a police official who suggested that by carrying arms, people put themselves at risk of being killed. Some police officers take justice into their own hands by killing “guilty” suspects. One lawyer told Amnesty International about a police officer in charge of the station where one of his clients had died: “The police officer said to me ‘I can swear that I have never killed any innocent man’.” The police often claim that suspects were shot while trying to escape from custody. Such claims are often highly implausible as it is unlikely that suspects indeed attempted to escape. Either way, such claims are irrelevant: the lethal use of force to prevent escape is prohibited under international standards unless there is an imminent threat to life. Muhammad Yusuf, the leader of the Boko Haram Islamic group, was arrested on 30 July 2009 in Maiduguri, Borno State. He was filmed and interviewed while in custody. Later that day the police announced that he had been killed while attempting to escape. On 13 August 2009 the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, stated that Muhammad Yusuf had been “killed in police custody”. He also said that the Nigerian government “condemns in its entirely, the unfortunate circumstances that led to the death of Mohammed Yusuf in Police custody.” A committee was established to investigate the incident and an investigation is currently under way. Ken Niweigha was arrested on 26 May 2009. He was brought to the State Criminal Investigation Department (State CID) in Yenagoa, and paraded in front of the media. According to the police, Ken Niweigha had agreed to show them his hideout and then tried to escape and was killed. Amnesty International’s research shows that it is unlikely Ken Niweigha was taken out of State CID detention. It is believed he died at the State CID. Eyewitnesses say that he was shot in the leg and in the ribs, and beaten in the neck area. His body was taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa and was buried in an undisclosed location by the authorities. The day after his arrest, the police reportedly returned to his house and burned his documents and his laptop. David Idoko, Stanley Okghara (not their real names) and three other men were arrested in April 2005 for suspected armed robbery. They were detained in Ogui Police Station and State CID in Enugu State. The five men were paraded in front of the media on 27 April 2005. At the end of June 2005, the police announced that the men tried to escape police custody after being allowed to go to the toilet at the same time – an extremely unlikely scenario. They were shot and killed. According to information received by Amnesty International, they died of gunshots to the head and the chest. The men had been in custody for almost two months. They were not brought before a judge, and their families were not informed of their detention or their deaths. As far as Amnesty International is aware, no investigation was carried out. Armed robbery suspects are at serious risk of extrajudicial execution. Police officers are concerned for their safety when suspected armed robbers are released. “When the suspect is released by the court, he will kill the police,” one human rights activist told Amnesty International. “That is why some don’t want to present an armed robbery case to court; they handle it in their own.” Police officers told researchers of the Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) that they would kill armed robbers, “because of the supposed failure on the part of the justice system to ‘cage’ armed robbers.” A senior officer at the NPF headquarters said in an interview with Amnesty International in June 2009: “The police do not take any joy in killing people that escape from custody… It is better for them to show the people that committed the crime to the public. If you kill them, the public won’t know you are working. ” VICTIMS DENIED LIFE-SAVING MEDICAL TREATMENT Amnesty International has received numerous reports of police officers preventing those they shot or tortured from getting medical help. Some victims go for hours, even days, without treatment. Many die in police custody as a result. Under international law, such cases are considered extrajudicial executions. On 6 August 2008, Femi Enyi (not his real name), a commercial driver, was shot without prior warning by a police officer working as a security guard. Femi Enyi was shot while he was arguing with another driver. Both drivers were unarmed. Femi Enyi’s wife and brother arrived at the scene and saw he was losing blood and was in pain. They told Amnesty international that the police did not allow them to come near the wounded man and refused to allow him to be taken to hospital. He later died. Samson Adekoya was also denied medical care. He was arrested for robbery on 6 February 2008 and detained at the SARS in Lagos State. His family was allowed to see him during the first few days after his arrest. On 26 February 2008, the police informed the family that Samson Adekoya had fallen ill and died in hospital on 11 February 2008. On 30 April 2008, the NGO Access to Justice petitioned the Commissioner of Police and Chief Judge of Lagos State and requested an inquiry into the death of Samson Adekoya. A coroner’s inquest revealed that he had died while in police custody and that he was dead by the time he arrived at the Ikorodu General Hospital on 12 February 2008. As the Police failed to inform a coroner, no autopsy was carried out and the cause of death remained unclarified. His body was not released to the family – Samson Adekoya was buried in a mass grave. Christian Onuigbo, aged 28 and a father of one, died on 21 March 2009. Two days earlier, on 19 March, he was shot by the police while parking his car in Jiwa, Federal Capital Territory. He spent the night at Jiwa Police Station and was taken to hospital the next morning. Staff at the hospital refused to treat him without a police report, which was finally submitted at 4pm. Christian Onuigbo died the following day. Although his body is still in the hospital’s mortuary at the time of writing, the authorities have not carried out an autopsy. In July 2009, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions ordered an investigative hearing into the circumstances of his death. No date has yet been set for this hearing. Hospitals often refuse to treat people with gunshot wounds because the police insist that doctors receive a police report before treatment. As far as Amnesty International could ascertain, there is no such provision in Nigerian law. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, “police have systematically encouraged a practice whereby medical personnel will not treat individuals reporting with bullet or knife wounds before receiving police authorization. Since permission is often delayed or withheld, many casualties occur.” On 27 September 2009, the NPF reiterated: “the Police had on several occasions called on medical practitioners to treat accident victims and persons with gunshot wounds, whether such persons are accompanied by Policemen or not.” Despite these repeated claims by the NPF, many hospitals still refuse victims access. One doctor told Amnesty International: “Many doctors do not want to touch an armed robber, because of the risks.” Both armed gangs and police officers have attacked hospitals in Nigeria. The National Assembly is currently discussing a bill to make the treatment of gunshot victims compulsory in hospitals. In October 2009, the Federal Ministry of Health announced that hospitals must treat gunshot victims. ‘How We Did Our Research’ According to Amnesty International, this report is based on interviews and research carried out in July 2007, July 2008 and June/July 2009 in Nigeria. Amnesty International delegates visited the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, and Enugu, Imo, Lagos and Kano States. In July 2007, Amnesty International visited prisons throughout the country and held interviews with prisoners about their experiences in police custody, among other issues. In July and October 2008, Amnesty International was not granted access to the prisons. In June 2009, Amnesty International was granted prison access, but did not visit the prisons as the delegates were not allowed to interview prisoners in private. Delegates met with police authorities at state and federal level, the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Senate Committees on Police Affairs and Judiciary, Justice and Human Rights. They spoke to judges, magistrates, state commissioners of justice and health, public defenders, lawyers and non-governmental human rights organizations (NGOs). They held detailed interviews with family members of people who had been extrajudicially executed by the police or disappeared in police custody and documented 39 cases of extrajudicial executions, other unlawful killings and enforced disappearances. Delegates also visited police stations in Lagos State in July 2008 and Federal Capital Territory in June 2009. To respect the confidentiality of the individuals concerned, Amnesty International has not used real names in some cases. Research for the report also draws on court cases, coroner’s inquests, judicial inquests, policy documents and the reports of the Presidential Commissions on Police Reforms (the Dan Madami report in 2006 and the Yusuf report in 2008). Amnesty International sought clarification and further information from the NPF on specific cases and the general findings as outlined in this report, but as of December 2009 no response has been received. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by afrikaam(m): 1:08pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
Nah wow ooooool. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by MrKelly: 1:24pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
Nigerian Police? They are big disgrace to this courntry.  |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by ud4u: 1:28pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
We have known this for a long time now, but what is the way out |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Nobody: 1:30pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
i |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by afanda(m): 1:45pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
am of d opinion dat a country gets a police dat best match the citizens |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by koolchicco: 1:59pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
And u refer to these abysmal crimes as misdemeanors?    |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Nobody: 2:03pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
afanda:are you saying that is the type of police that matches you? that you or a loved one deserve that kind of treatment from the police?think! |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by CarlosVent(m): 2:04pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
police r taking too much in dis country and I think its high time dey stop those rubish |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Caringpro(f): 2:14pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
Nigerian Police is a different ball game when it comes to protecting lives and properties. I have few friends who are not just police officers but are very good Christians and will not hurt any innocent fly BUT there are very very few of them. Majority of men and women in the Nigerian Police force are frustrated, uneducated, lack every iota of courtesy and can rightly be termed IDIOTS! |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by afanda(m): 2:22pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
@ konfessor, everyting in naija is not working u and i knw dat. all am saying is that d police r nt alone, every facet in naija has its own minus. unless u get our act rite noting will work 4 our NAIJA! Period. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by joeyfire(m): 2:58pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
these blasted animals in uniform have got be stopped. even though it is true that the police are a mirror of our ''beloved'' country i cant rationalise the killing of innocent people for any reason. if the work no sweet them,make dem resign now!! abi no be so? We thought that with democracy all the crap and bloodshed would stop but since politicians are no better, its continued and even gotten worse. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by ayobase(m): 4:25pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
ILLITERACY is the CANKERWORM in NIGERIA POLICE FORCE! DELETE illitearcy and LET me know how much we MUST HAVE IMPROVED! NPF is SYNONYMOUS to ILLITERACY! It is PAINFUL that DICTIONARY is already FILLED UP! |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by sjeezy8: 4:25pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
Do you people know what a misdemeanor is? a "lesser" criminal act. so its no misdemeanor, change the title |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by okizle(m): 7:18pm On Dec 10, 2009 |
i wonder if those guys in uniform actually go to the police Academy. its insane to see police men on the highway collecting bribe. I mean u lose ur value as a human being if you start causing trouble just cos of N20. I think this guys need to sit down and watch crime and investigation( a channel on dstv) and see how thier counterparts abroad handle issues pertaining to security. But then everything is wrong with this country and we can only count on God to bring deliverance! |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by slimes(m): 12:00am On Dec 11, 2009 |
Misdemeanors is just misconstrued here. How can murder be a misdemeanor? |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by vislabraye(m): 12:15am On Dec 11, 2009 |
okizle: Police academy ke ? It's only the soldiers that get trained, our policemen are outdated. You can't even compare our policemen with those abroad. Infact, we have a long way to go. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by suedoh2006(m): 1:43am On Dec 11, 2009 |
you carry gun for person wey no go school what do you expects? all they know is shoot aside no self restrain. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by clairmont: 8:25pm On Dec 11, 2009 |
I am interested in the Nigerian security and police sectors being a security trainer and researcher from Georgetown Guyana South America. I am currently the secretary of the caribbean Institute of Security and a professional member of the South African Institute of Security MIS (SA). I am desirous of making contact with members of the Nigerian security fraternity on matters of contemporary security, my interest could be obtained on the internet by typing in my name and location, to find security articles. My email address is securipak@yahoo.com and yes I have an interest in business. Clairmont Featherstone |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Nobody: 1:27am On Dec 12, 2009 |
first of rename the thread to felonies commited by the nigerian police |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by TYPOP(m): 11:53pm On Dec 13, 2009 |
It really is appalling what these guys do. Yet, they have their families amidst us. |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by lagerwhenindoubt(m): 10:14am On Dec 14, 2009 |
You think this is bad, we are in December, just wait till it is 2 days to christmas and 2 days after the celebration, there would be tons of people locked up and killed in Lagos. Some who tried celebrating New year got locked up, they actually slept in a cell into 2009 These guys know their reputation and the "badder" they are, the more money in their pockets |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by stede(m): 4:35pm On Dec 14, 2009 |
lagerwhenindoubt:let us continue to pray for them, a change will believe, |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by mccloud224(m): 5:54am On Dec 16, 2009 |
There is nothing wrong with Nigerian police.They are a true reflection of the society we live in.They are a striking example of the true make up of Nigerians.The only thing is they don't have decent education,well paying jobs or air conditioned officers.Every federal,state or local govt parastatal is in shambles.Anywhere our people find themselves, they make the most of it (albeit illegally). . .even if it means killing innocents for N20. Amnesty whoever can talk all the crap they wanna talk but it's still these same NPF that will be used to rig in the next president into power. . .who what gives?In between, why aren't they talking about the innocent civilians who die in the hands of American soldiers on a daily basis? Thousands have been killed. I don't see any bleeding hearts for them.Why isn't Amnesty whothehell saying anything? I almost forgot. . .it's an American based organization. Rubbish! |
| Re: Several Misdemeanors Of The Nigerian Police Force! by Imohbyron(m): 10:33am On Dec 18, 2009 |
He that lives by the sword shal also die by the sword.Peace, the problem is they(the police) think is kool,check ur ingredient before you overdose. |
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