A lawyer, Wisdom Chude, has alleged widespread human rights abuses at the Octopus Unit of the Nigeria Police Force’s C4i Department in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, including unlawful detention, torture, and extortion of suspects.
Mr Chude made the allegations in a Facebook post on Sunday after, according to him, speaking with a man who claimed to have been detained at the facility located in the Mile 2 area of Diobu.
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The lawyer also tagged the Rivers State police spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, in the post.
Allegations of unlawful detention
According to Mr Chude, the man told him he was arrested over a petition that had “no connection whatsoever” to him and was detained for several days.
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The detainee claimed that while in custody, he was subjected to severe beatings and repeated slaps and was compelled to pay N180,000 before his release.
Mr Chidera quoted the unnamed man as saying that “every item seized from him, including his shoes and shirts, had a separate price attached before they could be released back to him.”
He further alleged that the detainee recounted cases of other persons who had remained in custody for between two and three months without being granted bail or charged before a court.
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“He also recounted the case of a young man who was allegedly extorted of N200,000 under the guise of bail, only to be returned to the cell after completing the payment,” Mr Chude wrote.
Call for investigation
Describing the allegations as disturbing, Mr Chude called for urgent scrutiny of the tactical unit.
“The Octopus Unit deserves urgent scrutiny. The scale of the alleged human rights violations taking place there should be a matter of serious public concern,” he wrote.
He also questioned the effectiveness of oversight mechanisms, noting that Rivers State has an Administration of Criminal Justice Monitoring Committee and legal provisions requiring judges and chief magistrates to inspect detention facilities periodically.
“How can anyone be detained for weeks or even months without bail, without being charged in court, and without any meaningful oversight?” he asked.
Mr Chude further urged the Rivers State Commissioner of Police to conduct routine visits to tactical units rather than rely solely on reports from unit commanders.
Police order probe
Responding to the allegations, the police in Rivers State said they had commenced steps to ascertain the facts surrounding the claims.
In a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday by the police spokesperson, The police spokesperson, Ms Agabe, in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, said the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, had directed an investigative panel to examine the allegations thoroughly.
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She called on affected persons and the public to come forward with credible information regarding the allegations.
She said such persons could visit the office of the Police Public Relations Officer or contact the Complaint Response Unit through its dedicated telephone lines.
The commissioner, according to the statement, reiterated that detention beyond the legally stipulated period without due process is unlawful and would not be tolerated.
“He (the commissioner) further warned that any officer found engaging in unethical or unlawful practices will face strict disciplinary measures in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Act,” the statement added.
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