RULAAC executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, alleges that the team may be working for one Oliver Osuagwu and Alex Eberendu
By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
A team claiming to be police officers may be assassins on the loose, says the Rule of Law Accountability and Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), in a petition to the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Musliu Smith.
RULAAC executive director, Okechukwu Nwanguma, alleges that the team may be working for one Oliver Osuagwu and Alex Eberendu, both from Itu, Ezinihite Mbaise local government area of Imo State who are facing charges of terrorism financing and unlawful possession of firearms at a Magistrate Court in the community.
The duo has been accused of hiring a team of ‘disguised policemen’ to intimidate their perceived enemies in a chieftaincy dispute.
Nwanguma, in the petition to Smith, recalled that a risk analyst and president-general of Itu Autonomous community in the Ezinihite Mbaise community had approached RULAAC over a threat to his life allegedly by Osuagwu and Eberendu.
He resorted to seeking RULAAC’s intervention on the fears that he might not get justice in the petition he had addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 9 Police Headquarters, Umuahia, Abia State dated 20th April, 2021.
He had alleged ‘Criminal Conspiracy, attempted murder, terrorism financing, unlawful possession of firearms, arson and breach of public order against ‘a suspected criminal gang allegedly sponsored by Osuagwu and Eberendu. But he suspects that the team of investigators from Zone 9, Umuahia, by their conduct and posture, may have been compromised by the accused persons.
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Nwanguma says he addressed another petition to the AIG Zone 9, Umuahia attaching the previous petition by Chukwunonyerem Clifford and requested his intervention to ensure that the investigation was fair, concluded and appropriate actions taken. The second petition produced the required result and Osuagwu and Eberendu were charged to court in a suit number AM/I7C/2O2I COMM.OF POLICE VS (I) CHHBUEZE NWAGWU (2) CHIMAOBI ANYIBE, MADUEKWE CHINAZA. AMOBI NWAIWU.
On November 25, a man who claimed to be a police officer attached to the FCT police command identified as Sunday Agboji stormed Chukwunonyerem’s office at Lekki, Lagos accompanied by other ‘officers’ to arrest him but he was not in the office at the time they arrived.
According to the petition, when Chukwunonyerem’s colleagues in the office inquired if they had warrant, they declined to answer or present any. A female ‘Police officer’ in the team identified as Jane Ettah called Clifford through Agboji’s phone number and asked him to report to the FCT office on Monday, November 29.
“It was also apparent that they did not register their presence at any Police station in Lagos State- as required by police procedure, since they came from outside jurisdiction – all the way from FCT police command Abuja,” the petition observed.
Prior to the visit to Chukwunonyerem’s office, the same team had stormed the home of the Traditional Ruler of Itu community, His Royal Highness, Ben Adindu over his support for Chukwunonyerem as the community president-general against another contender. “The suspects, a team of about 10 masked men who claimed to be police officers and who came with a Toyota bus without a Registration number with the inscription ‘River Joy’ later found to have been led by the same Sunday Agboji of FCT police command had on 27th October 2021 at about 7:30 am invaded his palace in Itu, fully armed, in plain clothes with their faces covered and forcibly entered and ransacked his palace.
“They neither presented any warrant nor explained their mission before forcing their way in and ransacking his palace. He said his daughter was able to recognize Chibueze Nwagwu (Aka Butwhy) also masked, who led the police team to the palace. Chibueze Nwagwu is the same ringleader of the criminal gang that attacked Clifford Chukwu in Itu on Easter Monday, April 5th 2021 and currently among those facing 5 count criminal charges at the Ezinihitte Magistrate’s Court, along with his co- indicted gang members,” the petition reveals.
Eze Ben Adindu further informed that one of the female police officers in the invading team dragged his daughter through the kitchen door, took pictures of his compound, his official vehicle and ransacked his palace.
“The traditional ruler put a call to the DPO Ezinihitte Division who said that there were no records of any security personnel from outside jurisdiction that called to his office for any such operations. The traditional ruler also contacted Area Commander Ezinihite who also did not know about the mission of the invading police team. He later called the AIG Zone 9 Umuahia, the Ezinihitte LGA Chairman & Councillors. The traditional ruler said the invading police team left- following interventions from the calls he made,” RULAAC added.
Nwanguma said a few days after the police team went to Clifford Chukwu’s office in Lekki Lagos, the same team leader Sunday Agboji sent what he describes as an invitation note to Nwanguma through his WhatsApp number. The message reads: “My name is operative Agboji Sunday of the Nigeria Police Force attached to FCT police command Abuja. You are by this note invited over a petition against you to the Inspector General of Police by one Mr Oliver N Osuagwu. This is a fact-finding invitation hence, your presence is important. Report at FCT police command Abuja opposite old CBN Garki 2, on arrival contact operative Agboji Sunday who will receive you. Date Monday 29/11/2021 Time. 1030am. accept my warm regards pls..”
RULAAC says the team’s action was suspicious on the following grounds…
1. The invitations did not disclose the alleged offences or reasons for the invitation as may be contained in the purported petition to the IGP
2. If there is really a petition to the IGP against people not resident in the FCT and based on alleged offences not committed within the FCT, would the IGP direct such a petition to the CP FCT to investigate when the alleged offences were not committed within the FCT? More so, non of the persons said to be accused in the yet to be seen petition resides in the FCT.
3. Are Agboji Sunday and his team truly police officers or hired assassins? If they are truly Police officers on a genuine mission, why would they mask their faces and operate with an unmarked vehicle to invade the traditional ruler’s palace and Clifford Chukwu’s offices without warrant of arrest or search, as required by law?
4. Were they actually sent by the IGP and would the IGP ask them to operate in such reckless and unprofessional manners which portray them like bandits hired by criminal suspects accused and facing charges for serious crimes to help them settle scores and evade justice?
4. The criminal charge against some of the criminal gang members is pending at Magistrate court. There is only an Ezeship dispute in Itu, already before the High court, Owerri. It is therefore curious that the police are dabbling into an Ezeship case that is in court. Why must they usurp the jurisdiction of the high court judge? How could the IGP prefer FCT command as against Imo State command or AIG Zone 9 that is already seised of the matter?