Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
A group known as the Concerned Awka Citizens (CAC) has written to the Police Authority in Abuja alleging an abuse of power and office by some officers of the Nigerian Police Force at Zone 13 Command, Anambra State.
The petition signed by CAC Secretary, Nkechi Obi, described the conduct of the fingered officers as unprofessional, alleging that the officers played antics targeted at concealing evidence of criminal activities. They also alleged that the complainant had not been granted access to documents in the case for documentary reasons.
The petition addressed to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Public Complaints Raid Response Unit (PCRRU), Abuja, noted that some officers at Zone 13 are intentionally breaching access to justice by refusal to initiate a process for the transfer of the case file of the ‘criminal activities’ investigated by Crack Squad of Zone 9 Umuahia. They said this can only shield criminals from being prosecuted.
Ikengaonline gathered that the group had on September 9, 2022, written to the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, seeking the transfer of a fraud case, inducement of public officers, falsification of public documents and other criminal acts investigated by the Assistant Inspector-General Of Police Zone 9.
According to them, the case which had been at Zone 9 since November 2018, was yet to be filed in court for the judicial process to commence, adding that Zone 9 no longer has jurisdiction to continue the case following the creation of Zone 13, which has been charged to handle such criminal cases. “Only the IGP had the power to order the transfer of a case from a zone, hence, their letter to the IGP.”
It further stated that police investigation had indicted one Mrs Aguiyi Anuli, Mrs Ogochukwu Ikunne, Chief Chukwuka Onuko and Mr Ndu Onuko, who are all of the same district with the complainant, of forgeries, falsification of police statements, false information, inducement of public officers and other corrupt practices.
“That after much ado, AIG Zone 9 through the PPRO, Janet Ugwu Chukwu, said the IG of police has not directed that criminal cases which emanated from the region covered by Zone 13 which are investigated by Zone 9 should be transferred to Zone 13; and the PPRO Zone 9 said it is only IGP that can give a directive for the transfer of the case to Zone 13.
“Therefore, it is as a result of the stance of the PPRO on our request to have our case file moved from Zone 9 to Zone 13 that we humbly ask your office to call for the original police case file from Zone 9 Command to IGP X- Squad or Zone 13, Anambra State, as Zone 9 does not have the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute criminal acts from Anambra,” the group said.
In the new petition dated October 11, 2022, the group said Zone 13 officers have not initiated any move or action for the transfer of the case file from Umuahia despite the petition to the IGP which they claimed was minuted to the Zone.
“It is absolutely imperative to note Sir that the petition dated 9th September 2022, was minuted to P. A. Ogele and Sgt Samuel Fidelis, to take action aimed at retrieving the Crack Squad Zone 9 Umuahia file from CSP Xsquad Zone 9, Supol Obiageli and their colleagues but till date (11/10/2022), P. A. Ogele and Sgt Samuel Fidelis have not initiated a move aimed at retrieving the Crack Squad Zone 9 case file from Zone 9.
“P. A. Ogele and Sgt Samuel Fidelis in order to conceal the evidence of criminal activities investigated by Crack Squad Zone 9 Umuahia and even make sure that suspected criminals are shielded from police prosecution, told Chukwunenye Nweke that Zone 13 Ukpo lacks the powers to call for the case file investigated by Zone 9 Umuahia so, they refused to signal Zone 9 and call for transfer of the file probed by Zone 9 Umuahia.
“The file is a property of Chukwunenye Nweke under Zone 9 and Nweke says he wants his case file to be moved to Zone13 for further investigation and prosecution in court. So, we don’t think it is legal for Zone 9 to sit on Nweke ‘s request,” the group said.
The group which also noted that the matter had been severally reported to the PCRRU, claimed that an attempt for PCRRU to investigate the matter was breached upon due to claims by Zone 13 that the case file assigned to ZIB was among documents set ablaze.
The complainant in the case, Chukwunenye Nweke accused Zone 13 of intentionally trying to frustrate his access to justice by their refusal to call for the original case file from Zone 9.
“They just want to frustrate me. It is a case of trying to use the office of the AIG Zone 13 to shield criminals from justice. They cannot get my own case file from Zone 9, but are prosecuting a matter investigated by Zone 9,” he added.
Reacting, one of the accused, Patrick Ogele, said Zone 13 has nothing to do with the documents, noting that the onus lies on the complainant to channel his request directly to Zone 9 for the transfer of the case files.
“The matter was transferred to me from Zone 9 for me to continue in Zone 13. The matter has been on before I even came on. I was not a party to it. I only responded that the documents he was asking for are not in Zone 13; therefore he should channel his request to Zone 9 where the documents are.
“He filed a motion in court, praying court to compel us to call Zone 9 to transfer the case files to us. The motion has not been heard and once something is in court, you cannot do anything until the court decides. Among the things he is asking for are all in Zone 9 Umuahia. Then, he filed a similar application which the court granted and mandated that the things be given, but they are in Zone 9.
“The only person that has the right to order such a transfer is the Inspector General of Police, not even the AIG because they are simply coordinate officers, except Zone 9 voluntarily wants to transfer the said documents across to us.
“If he writes to Zone 9 to release the documents, the said command can oblige without recourse to Zone 13. He can write to zone 9, sue them, apply to IG or even compel the IG to order zone 9 to release documents to him and if they fail, he can then do whatever he so wishes if actually he wants to use it for his defence or any other purpose,” Ogele explained.
Meanwhile, a source from Zone 9 who spoke on condition of anonymity advised the complainant to write Abuja for a release of the documents.
“AIGs forward case files to Abuja. If any of the Zones wants any document, they request from our Abuja headquarters. But in this case, Zone 9 can effect the transfer if authorities in Abuja ask it to do so.”
Contacted, the Zone 13 Police Public Relations Officer, Nkiruka Nwode, told this reporter that she was on leave and hence, could not comment on the matter. Several other efforts made to have the AIG Zone 13, Umar Musa, speak on the matter were not successful as he neither picked his calls nor returned them.
