The Inspector General of Police
The Nigeria Police
Force Headquarters
Louis Edet House
Abuja

Dear Inspector General of Police

A COMPLAINT AGAINST ASP OKERE OF FEDERAL SARS LAGOS FOR ARRESTING AND DETAINING GIDEON ONUORA AND HIS SISTER, CHIDINMA IN PLACE OF THEIR ELDER BROTHER, RAPULUCHUKWU ONUORA AND DEMANDING BRIBE AND SEX FOR ‘BAIL’.

Network on Police Reform in Nigeria (NOPRIN) is a network of 46 civil society organisations spread across Nigeria and committed to promoting police accountability and respect for human rights. It was established in 2000 to provide opportunity for civil society input into police reform and the enhancement of safety, security and justice.

NOPRIN writes to bring to your attention and to request you to order prompt, impartial and full investigation into the acts of gross abuse of human rights, reckless misuse of power and corruption by ASP Okere of the federal SARS, Lagos. We call for appropriate disciplinary actions against him for arresting Gideon Onuora and his sister, Chidinma in place of their brother and demanding bribe and sexual gratification as conditions for bail.

NOPRIN is informed that on the 18th day of August, 2012, Gideon Onuora, a secondary school graduate and his sister, Chidinma- natives of Nsukka in Enugu State but resident in Onitsha- were arrested by a team from the Federal SARS, Lagos led by ASP Okere (whose phone numbers are: 08139457477 and 07035519497). Gideon and Chidinma were arrested in place of their elder brother, Rapuluchukwu Onuora whom the police actually came after, and were detained at the Central Police Station (CPS), Onitsha, Anambra State.

After some pressure, ASP Okere allowed Chidinma to go home on 21st August, 2012 after demanding and receiving the sum of ten thousand naira (N10, 000.00) as “bail fee” from her family.

Till date, 31st August, 2012, Gideon is still held in unlawful custody at CPS, Onitsha as ASP Okere, who prides himself as ‘a stubborn police officer who takes instructions from his superiors’, insists on collecting the sum of three hundred thousand naira (N300,000.00) as the only condition to release Gideon whom he has not accused of any offence.

Since he released Chidinma from unlawful detention, ASP Okere has been calling her on phone repeatedly, inviting her to his hotel room, but Chidinma has refused to turn up for fear of being sexually molested by the ASP. Her father also stopped her from going to see her brother who is still in police custody at the CPS Onitsha.

When the 63 year-old man, Nathaniel Onuora later went to the CPS, Onitsha to inquire from the ASP the reason for his arrest and continued detention of his son, ASP Okere ordered the old man to sit on the bare concrete floor and later ordered him out of the station.

Despite interventions by senior police officers at the CPS and a human rights group in Onitsha, ASP Okere has stuck to his gun insisting on receiving bribe and gratifying himself sexually before freeing an innocent citizen. We are informed that one DSP serving at the CPS, Onitsha has approached ASP Okere and advised him against his conduct, and he picked quarrel with him and told him ‘you know me that I am a stubborn ASP’. A human rights organisation based in Onitsha- Centre for Human Rights and Peace Advocacy, led by Comrade Peter Onyegiri (07036892777) has also approached ASP Okere for the release of Gideon, but ‘he has remained adamant and intransigent.’

Successive IGPs have warned police officers against the practice of arresting any person or persons in place of any other person or persons who may be wanted for any alleged offence. Proxy arrest of a family member, friend or colleague for an offence committed by another person is unlawful.

We note that this is happening at a time that the new IGP M.D. Abubakar has repeatedly warned police officers- particularly those in SARS- against abuses and corruption and expressed his determination to clean up the image of the Nigeria Police and endear it to the people. It is shocking that an officer of ASP Okere’s ilk is still retained in the Nigeria Police. Officers like him represent real threats to public safety and liabilities to the image of the Nigeria Police. They should be flushed out of the police if the IGP will realise his vision of a courteous, accountable and people-friendly and trustworthy police capable of fulfilling its social functions.