The Special Investigation Panel set up by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Alkali Usman Baba, to probe the allegations of extrajudicial killings, unprofessionalism and high-handedness against police officers attached to the Anambra State Command and Zone 13 Ukpo-Dunukofia, has commenced a full-scale investigation into the allegations.
Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, via his official Twitter handle, disclosed that the team has moved to scenes and sites for on-the-spot-assessment, and have been tasked to harness all available means and spread its tentacles towards ensuring that all information received via the channels made available to the public was properly examined to assist the investigations, subsequent report of findings,and recommendations.
The Police Chief had set up the panel following allegations by an anonymous blog, Gistlover, that Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Patrick Agbazue, a senior police officer in Anambra State, was involved in kidnapping, torture, and murder of citizens. Also fingered in the allegations were the PRO of Zone 13 Headquarters, Ukpo-Dunukofia, SP Nwode Nkeiruka, and Inspector Harrison Akama, who was attached to the RRS in the State.
Adejobi gave assurances on behalf of the Force regarding the members of the panel, who are “respected and thoroughbred officers, including officers of the IGP Monitoring Unit”, reporting directly to the Inspector-General of Police, and who “shall discharge the responsibility professionally and ensure justice”.
Adejobi also conveyed assurances of efforts made by the Force to entrench an organised and sanitised Rapid Response Squad in Okuzu, Anambra State, “to suit the present ideologies and administrative styles of the Force leadership in conformity with international best practices”.
Clearing the air regarding the arrest and detention of the officers, the Force spokesman averred that they were neither arrested or detained. “Rather, they were summoned to the Force Headquarters for interrogation in order to have a clue on the trending allegations. Due to the denial of the allegations raised by the blogger, the Inspector-General of Police then set in motion the process for diligent investigations.
“It is, however, crucial to state that this process/development will not in any way truncate the current conscientious investigation into the allegations as many aggrieved persons have reached out to the panel for more deliberations and information sharing”, he said.
