Imo NUJ Flays Police Brutality, Says It’s Taking Dangerous Dimension

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Imo State Council has taken a swipe at Imo State Police Command over its rising profile in using brute force against innocent Imo citizens with heartless extortion.

The Union made the observation in a statement signed by the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Imo Council of NUJ, Comrade Precious Nwadike and his Secretary, Comrade Austin Okoro.

The group expresses worries over the failure of the supposed law enforcement officers have become flagrantly violent and become oppressors and traducers of those they are supposed to protect.

The umbrella Union for Journalists particularly made reference to the vexatious incident of alleged arson committed by the police over an unsubstantiated report, caring less about investigating an allegation that a certain hotel in Orlu was a hideout for hoodlums.

The group of also condemned the continued illegal arrest and detention of innocent Imo citizens without trial even as extortion seems the raison d’être for the random arrest. It particularly made reference to the very recent incident where a student, Mmesoma, had an altercation with a friend, one quickly called her police boyfriend against her neighbour.

Rather than manage the situation, the said officer invaded the entire rooms in the hostel with his colleagues and taking many into captive.

Imo NUJ therefore called for immediate release of all those Illegally arrested by the police, saying they were never found guilty of any offence or crime.

They also called on the Commissioner of Police to intervene even as the body suggested a committee to look into various alleged degrees uncivilized conducts of some crop of police officers.

The state reads:

“The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Imo State Council has been watching with utmost dismay the disturbing level and frequency of police brutality and extortion going on in Imo State. Unfortunately, these uniformed men and women  are among those charged with the responsibility of protecting lives and properties of Imo citizens.


“The Union views the latest wave of intimidation, extortion and primitive brutality by the police which is nudged on by the alarming culture of silence on the side of  supposed leaders and stakeholders  in Imo state as a conspiracy against the people. 


“Moreso, as the government institutions charged with the responsibility of protecting lives and upholding the fundamental rights of every citizen, are often the culprits in the desecration of the sanctity of live and the trampling of the fundamental human rights of decent citizens. 


“We had expected that this issue would have been boldly and openly addressed after our last outing where we drew the attention of the governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to the mindless and wicked manner some police officers in Imo go about arresting innocent people and in most cases, subject them to inhuman treatment and extorting money from them at gunpoint.


“The officers no doubt  have made themselves Lords of the manor. They seem to believe that nobody can question their actions. It is evidence that they do all of these without recourse to extant laws of the land and the police rules of engagement because the system and structure that supervise and make every gun-wielding policeman accountable for his actions seem to have since collapsed. 



“Whereas Section 36(5) of 1999 Constitution as amended states that every person is innocent until proven guilty. We therefore frown at the brazen manner with which these officers of the law indulge in extrajudicial excesses, violently and flagrantly violating the law they are paid to enforce. In most cases, they undertake the trial, ‘sit in judgment and  convict the suspects’ without going to court which is why many suspects are allegedly missing or languishing in police cells without having their day in court.



“There is no gainsaying the fact that at a time when other neighbouring states have committed so much to managing the near fragile security situations in their states, Imo state remains a place where some cops have made themselves willing tools used to settle scores by troublesome people as evidenced in what happened in IMSU and Fire Service recently. 


“While the union was at a loss as to the reason for  invasion and burning  of a hotel in Orlu, owned by a business man,Chief Chinonso Uba on  unsubstantiated allegation of a 16-year-old, who by law is a minor and whose evidence in court must always be subjected to thorough scrutiny who gave them a tip-off that hoodlums were harboured in the said hotel for which they stormed, burnt it and other adjoining houses. Suppose the hotelier was culpable, was burning of his hotel and home in the rules of engagement? 



“Secondly,If the student-squatter that called her police friend alleging that she was in danger at the Olive hostel,Owerri was indeed in danger, was the prescribed course of action, the brutal attack of every resident of the hostel and forcing their way into 70 rooms in the hostel. Or was the forceful extortion of cash from students part of the police response to a supposed distress call. 


“The truth is that lawless men cannot enforce the law. Instead they will continue to succeed in building bad blood between themselves and the populace. 


“Investigation on the Olive Students’ hostel has revealed that one Mmesoma had quarreled with her room mate and when the quarrel escalated, Memsoma invited her police boyfriend who mobilized his colleagues from government house to the hostel. The pictorial evidence shown to the union leaves so much to be desired of an institution that ought to be a friend to the masses.



“We therefore state as follows:



“1)That the police should as a matter of urgency release everyone unlawfully detained by them on trumped up charges



“2)That the Commissioner of Police should put machinery in motion to fish out members of the Force that expose the Police to opprobrium and ridicule. 



“3)The intimidation or the act of being used to settle political or personal scores as was the case in the IMSU students’ hostel, must stop.



“4) IMSU students who were tortured for no justifiable reason must be given justice.



“5)That the government should set up a committee to investigate the new wave of police brutality in Imo. We suggest that the governor pay an unscheduled visits to these facilities and see things for himself. 


“6. That it would amount to crass irresponsibility on the part of the Management of the Imo State University, to remain silent and seemingly indifferent, while their students are exposed to the life-threatening recklessness of a crop of security operatives”.