Amnesty Wants Independent Investigation Into Disappearance Of Six

PHOTO: ATTORNEY GENERAL AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE, MR. MOHAMMED ADOKE. IMAGE: AMANAONLINE.COM

ABUJA April 14, (THEWILL) - Amnesty International (AI) has called on the Federal Ministry of Justice to set up an Independent Commission of Inquiry to urgently conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the disappearance of six men from police custody in Port Harcourt since 2009.

AI said the six men; Chika Ibeku, Gabriel Ejoor Owoicho, Precious Odua, Johnson Nnaemeka and two others, mostly in their twenties disappeared on or around 11 April 2009 from Swift Operation Squad (SOS) detention in Port Harcourt.

Deputy Africa Director at Amnesty International Tawanda Hondora, said in a statement made available to THEWILL Wednesday that the organization fear the young men like many detainees who have disappeared in police custody, could have been extra judicially executed.

The organization which said it had repeatedly asked the police authorities to reveal the whereabouts of the men and bring them to court lamented that extrajudicial executions and disappearances from police custody usually remain uninvestigated and the police officers responsible go unpunished.

According to Hondora, "Amnesty International and Nigerian NGOs have repeatedly asked the police authorities to reveal the whereabouts of these men and bring them to court. But one year on, the police have not even informed their relatives about their fate."

He said the parents of the detainees have been making frantic efforts with no avail to get any information about their whereabouts and are deeply worried that they have not been taken to the court or seen since last year.

Calling on the Ministry of Justice to investigate the issue AI noted that its fears are founded as according to it there is a widespread disregard for human rights and due process within the police force which has bred a culture of impunity.

It said the police in some occasions simply deny any knowledge of whereabouts of detainees while the families of the victims usually get no justice or redress as most of them never even find out what happened to their relatives.

"The police know that they can get away with murder. And they do. It is time for the Federal Government to step in and put a stop to this brutal abuse of power," Tawanda Hondora said.

Amnesty International therefore urged the Federal Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke to set up an independent commission of inquiry into all suspected cases of unlawful killings and disappearances by the Nigeria Police Force in recent years.