RULAAC alerts PSC, IGP Egbetokun of ‘rogue’ police Inspector hounding members of Anambra community on half of his ‘paymasters’
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has drawn the attention of IGP Kayode Egbetokun and the Police Service Commission to the activities of a police inspector Mathew Abu Michael who goes about hounding opponents of his ‘paymasters’ in the Isuoniocha community of Anambra State.
A statement by RULAAC’s executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, accused Inspector Matthew Abu Michael of doing a police-for-hire job on behalf of murder suspects in a bid to shield them from trial.
The statement recalled how the said Inspector Mathew Abu Michael procured a court order in far away Nasarawa State declaring members of the Isuoniocha community in Anambra State wanted over ‘trumped-up charges’ of murder and other sundry charges. The Magistrate Court later reversed itself in another ruling.
The RULLAC’s statement reads: “RULAAC has called on the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) requesting him to prevail on the IGP to call one Inspector Matthew Abu Michael of the Admin Unit of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Force Headquarters, and others to order to stop further harassment, intimidation, arrest, detention and prosecution – on spurious and unfounded allegations – of members of Isuaniocha community in Awka North LGA Anambra State.
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“This call was contained in a petition dated August 19, 2024, addressed to the Chairman of the PSC.
“RULAAC, in the petition, drew the attention of the PSC Chairman to a court order directing the Nigeria Police to stop further harassment, arrest and detention of members of the community based on a matter currently before the Awka Federal High Court for which the court has granted the accused persons bail.
“RULAAC in the letter informed the PSC Chairman of previous and unresolved petitions against the said Inspector Matthew Abu Michael for corrupt indulgence in a police-for-hire hatchet job, obstruction and perversion of justice, and shielding from justice notorious members of the community who are facing trial for murder and attempted murder of their kinsmen over a community dispute. The said Inspector Matthew Abu Michael has allegedly, in brazen and illegal display of raw police powers, been hounding the petitioners who are also family members of the victims of murder and attempted murder as well as their supporters, and preventing them from attending court to pursue their cases against the accused persons, particularly Mssrs. Festus Onyeagolu and Anthony Onyeagolu who are allegedly bankrolling Inspector Matthew Abu Michael’s unprofessional and discreditable activities.
“As part of the machinations to keep the petitioners away from court, the said Inspector Matthew Abu Michael was also alleged to have masterminded the gazette of the names of 12 members of the community and obtained a dubious court order from far away Nasarawa State Senior District Court (outside the jurisdiction of the alleged crimes) declaring them wanted for alleged ‘conspiracy, murder, armed robbery, act of terrorism, kidnapping, cultism and unlawful possession of firearms, housebreaking, burglary, malicious damage, and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace in Isuaniocha’.
“On the basis of this orchestrated order declaring them wanted without ever being invited by the police, Inspector Matthew Abu Michael went on a hounding spree, arrested, detained, arraigned and secured the remand in prison custody of several members of the community without evidence to prosecute them for the alleged crimes. No less than 33 innocent citizens of the community were arrested and detained or remanded.
“However, the same Senior District Court of Nasarawa State of Nigeria holden at Mararaba-Gurlu had by a counter Order dated 9/11/23 reversed its earlier Order issued in favour of the Nigeria Police declaring the Applicants wanted and ordered the police not to use it (the previous order) to arrest members of the community.
“Unfortunately, in a bid to circumvent this Order stopping the police from further arresting members of the community, the financiers of Inspector Matthew Abu Michael’s abusive and reckless activities have resorted to writing fresh petitions to other police units and formations including the IRT in order to continue to use police officers from other units to continue to harrass and keep away their kinsmen from continuing to pursue their cases in court against them.
“RULAAC urged the PSC Chairman to ensure that the IGP calls Inspector Matthew Abu Michael and others to order to stop the harassment and violation of the rights of the petitioners, and to treat previous petitions to both the IGP and the PSC concerning the alleged discreditable conduct of Inspector Matthew Abu Michael and other police officers.”
