RULAAC petitions IGP over alleged persecution of exonerated Enugu businessman Nebo Kingsley by IRT officers
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, urging urgent intervention in the case of Mr. Nebo Kingsley, an Enugu State indigene who said he was unlawfully arrested, tortured, and detained by officers of the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team (FID-IRT/FID-IRT).
In the petition dated March 10, 2026, and signed by RULAAC Executive Director Okechukwu Nwanguma, the group alleges that Kingsley was held for over a month in unauthorized conditions, subjected to severe hardship, humiliation, and degrading treatment during his detention following an August 2025 arrest linked to a land dispute that escalated into a fabricated murder accusation.
According to the petition, Kingsley was eventually released after filing a complaint with the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) at Force Headquarters, Abuja. The CRU’s subsequent investigation reportedly exonerated him of any wrongdoing, concluded there was no credible evidence for the charges, described his arrest and treatment as unlawful, and recommended sanctions against the involved IRT officers—including CSP Moshood Lawal, for misconduct, physical assault, prolonged detention, and coercive tactics.
Despite this internal clearance, RULAAC says the same discredited IRT investigation report has now been forwarded to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (Legal) in an apparent bid to prosecute Kingsley in court in complete disregard for the CRU’s findings.
The petition further accuses IRT officers of taking and unlawfully sharing photographs of Kingsley during detention, leading to their online circulation, defamation, cyberbullying, and threats to his safety and reputation. RULAAC says the actions breach privacy rights, professional ethics, and constitute abuse of office.
RULAAC described the developments as “deeply troubling,” highlighting risks of institutional impunity and erosion of accountability mechanisms within the Nigeria Police Force.
The advocacy group is demanding that the IGP:
1. Immediately review the matter and halt any prosecution based on the faulted IRT report.
2. Withdraw any initiated or proposed charges against Kingsley.
3. Enforce full implementation of the CRU’s exoneration and disciplinary recommendations.
4. Investigate the officers responsible for sharing his images and pursuing the case post-exoneration.
5. Prevent further harassment, intimidation, or malicious actions against him.
RULAAC expresses the confidence that the IGP’s office will address the petition with the required urgency.
The case stems from a controversy involving Kingsley’s alleged frame-up in a murder case tied to a resolved land sale, as highlighted in prior reports, including a February 25, 2026, CRU report, which indicted IRT officers and cleared Kingsley.
