Our Reporter, Abuja
A human rights organization, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre, RULAAC, has accused police officers and civilians involved in the alleged torture and death of a young security guard in Imo State of attempting to derail a court-ordered coroner’s inquest by fabricating charges against key witnesses.
RULAAC detailed the allegations in a letter dated August 25, 2025, addressed to the Imo State Police Commissioner. The letter claims that suspects, including Inspector Barnabas of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit at Tiger Base in Owerri, Mrs. Oluchi Obiagwu—a trader at Alaba Market—and her sister, a police officer, are conspiring to intimidate witnesses through trumped-up charges of “receiving stolen goods.”
Japhet Njoku, a 32-year-old newlywed security guard at Alaba Market, died on May 5, 2025, while in custody at Tiger Base, following his arrest in March on what RULAAC describes as “unsubstantiated allegations” of theft orchestrated by Obiagwu.
According to the group, Njoku and four others were detained for over five weeks, subjected to torture, and extorted for sums up to ₦300,000 each as part of a claimed ₦4 million demand, all under the supervision of Inspector Barnabas and other officers.
“The late Japhet Njoku was arrested on the strength of Mrs. Obiagwu’s unsubstantiated allegations of theft of goods allegedly missing over four years without any evidence of burglary, witness, or report to market security,” the RULAAC letter states.
It adds that Njoku was “tortured to death in custody… before any investigation was concluded.”
Following petitions from Njoku’s family, an Owerri Magistrate Court ordered a coroner’s inquest on June 5, 2025, in suit OW/MISC/425/2025, requiring Inspector Barnabas, CSP Oladimeji (head of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit), and others to testify. The court also prohibited further investigations or autopsies until the inquest concludes and mandated the police commissioner to ensure compliance.
However, RULAAC alleges that the suspects have defied the order by refusing to appear before the coroner and using the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Owerri to harass witnesses—Njoku’s former co-detainees Monday Ekwueme, Basil Ekenyere, Miss Nkechi, and Mrs. Caro Okeke. The group claims this is a deliberate effort to “intimidate and silence them as witnesses,” divert attention from the custodial death, and undermine justice.
A recent incident highlighted in the letter occurred on August 22, 2025, during a meeting convened by the Deputy Commissioner of Police at SCID Owerri. Njoku’s family raised concerns about witness intimidation, and the DCP advised prioritizing the murder probe over the “frivolous” receiving charges while cautioning Obiagwu’s sister against interference. Despite this, SCID officers allegedly detained the witnesses for over five hours that same day, threatened them with arraignment, and ordered them to return with sureties on August 27.
“This conduct amounts to contempt of court and a brazen attempt to cover up extra-judicial killing,” RULAAC Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma wrote in the letter.
The case has drawn broader scrutiny to Tiger Base, which RULAAC and other rights groups have labeled a “torture chamber” notorious for extrajudicial killings, extortion, and illegal detentions. In June, RULAAC called for the unit’s immediate closure, arguing it represents a “warped security apparatus” in Nigeria.
RULAAC urged the police commissioner to enforce the court’s orders, halt the “diversionary” charges, protect the witnesses, and ensure accountability for Njoku’s death to “restore public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force in Imo State.”
