From Ben Dunno, Warri
The National President Committee For Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Comrade (Dr) Kehinde Prince Taiga, has called on Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Alkali Baba, to investigate the role played by operatives of X-Squad attached to Rivers State Police Command over an alleged N2.5m extortion.
Making the call in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri yesterday, the CDHR boss gave the name of the victim as one Emeka Kenneth, a businessman, whose two loaded trucks of Indorama fertilizer worth over N30m were diverted while in transit to supply a customer who has requested for it.
He disclosed that the victim on sensing that his goods had been diverted, immediately lodged a complaint at the Rivers State Command of Nigerian Police and the matter was referred to the X-Squad, a special team for investigation by the Police Commissioner, CP Okon Effiong, who demanded prompt action 9n the matter.
According to him; “It was during the course of investigation and manhunt of those behind the criminal act that the police team were able to track the location of the diverted goods and recovered some leftover fertilizer, in addition to the cash sum of N9m found on the suspects at the scene”
“It was however surprising that the Police granted all the suspects arrested in connection to the criminal act bail and released the two trucks that ought to be used as evidence in prosecuting the matter to their owners without a recourse to the losses incurred by the Complainant.
“And as if that was not enough, the IPO handling the matter, one Inspector Innocent Apeh, who had earlier briefed the Complainant, Emeka Kenneth of their findings, later released to him a total of N6.5m, claiming that they had to spend a whopping N2.5m on expenses incurred during their tracking and investigation.”
While claiming that such an extortion act was unacceptable, CDHR demanded the immediate transfer of the matter from the Rivers State Police Command to the Force Headquarters, Abuja, as the victim had expressed the fear that he could not get justice at the Command level.
While demanding that the unprofessional conduct with which the police handled the matter be corrected in the interest of justice, The body urged IGP Alkali Baba, to revisit the issue at the Rivers State Police Command and called those involved in tarnishing the good name of the police force to order.
Reacting to the issue in a telephone conversation, Rivers State Command Police Commissioner, CP Okon Effiong, said the investigation into that case had been on before his posting to the state and therefore cannot speak on an investigation that was carried out before he assumed office at the Command.
He called for a thorough investigation into the matter with the view of ascertaining the truth in the claim of the Complainant and the team that was saddled with the responsibility of handling the case when it was reported.