By Jude Atupulazi
The chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) Mr. Solomon Arase and the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, have been called upon, to discipline an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Akoko Obadiah, and his colleagues, over alleged criminal exploitation of a complainant of N1.1m.
A joint statement by the Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), lamented what they described as the increasing professional misconduct by some officers and men of the Nigerian Police, saying that ASP Obadiah should not only be disciplined by demoting him to the next lower rank but should also be made to refund the N1.1m he allegedly collected from a complainant, Pastor Chukwudi Duruofor.
According to the statement endorsed by High Chief Uzor A. Uzor, Chairman, of CD in South East and Executive Director, HURIDE, Duruofor had petitioned the IG, alleging attempted murder, kidnap attempt, maiming, unlawful and forcible entry and malicious damage of his property by one Mr Onyebuchi Nweke and his boys said to be numbering about 25.
According to the petition by Duruofor’s lawyer, F. U. Idiake, Nweke and his cohorts, allegedly armed to the teeth, entered plot 310, Omalicha Layout, Oze, Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, belonging to Pastor Duruofor and maliciously destroyed the place.
Duruofor’s lawyer alleged in the petition that Nweke on January 20-23, 2024, took his men to the place where he maliciously damaged the property.
But Obadiah was said to have been assigned to come down from Force Headquarters, Abuja and pick Nweke and take him back to Abuja for questioning.
He was said to have demanded N1.1m covering the return ticket for himself and his colleague, as well as other expenses, including the suspect’s tickets which were paid to him fully.
Unfortunately, when Obadiah came down for the operation, they arrested Nweke but instead of taking him to Abuja, they took him to 3-3 Police Station where he was set free immediately after an allege underhand deal in the presence of the suspect, prompting the said suspect to start abusing Pastor Duruofor, boasting that he had done his worst and that nothing would happen.
They said that Obadiah simply told the complainant whose property was maliciously damaged and had paid him N1.1m that he would call to tell him when to come to Abuja, but till now, Obadiah had yet to invite them.
Obadiah boasted that he was working under the instructions of the DIG in charge of the Force’s Criminal Investigation Department, CID.
The rights groups insisted that disciplining Obadiah and his colleague has become imperative, not only to recover the complainant’s money but to also equally serve as a deterrent to other corrupt police officers who put the image of the police to ridicule.
