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NHRC Calls for an End in Torture by Security Agencies

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NHRC Calls for an End in Torture by Security Agencies

NHRC Calls for an End in Torture by Security Agencies

…. Asks Government to Put Mechanism in Place Against Terrorism, Banditry

By: Michael Mike

The National Human Rights Commission NHRC has spoken against torture by security and other law enforcement officials in the country on citizens.

The Commission called on government and stakeholders at all levels to work harder to ensure that torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment  meted out on citizens by security and law enforcement personnel is completely eradicated in the society, even as it called on government to immediately put mechanism in place to check against terrorism, kidnapping and armed banditry.

The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, made the call in Abuja during the celebration of the 2022 International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. 

Speaking at the weekend at the event commemorating the day that is observed globally on 26 June every year, the Executive Secretary called on security agencies to desist from any form of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment while carrying out their operations, urging them to embrace international best practices in conducting investigations which according to him gives high regard to respect for human rights. 

Ojukwu equally expressed concern over private citizens’ involvement in this ugly practice, describing it as deeply disturbing to the Commission.

Also Read: FG restates commitment to support NYSC scheme, corps…

According to him, “the international event is significant because it provides the opportunity to reassess the conduct of law enforcement agencies, groups, and individuals in order to ensure that they operate within the ambit of national, regional, or international law.

While expressing worries over the spate of torture and other related human rights violations which comes in various forms especially police brutality, domestic violence, assault, rape, kidnap, etc., the Learned Silk lamented that “although Nigeria has ratified several major international human rights treaties and has also passed the Anti- Torture Act 2017 into law, torture still remains a tool used by security agents for interrogating and intimidating suspects “.

He lamented that violation of the right to freedom from torture and ill-treatment has remained one of Nigeria’s highest recorded human rights violations. He said: “A good number of the complaints treated by the Commission during the Independent Investigative Panel on Alleged Human Rights Violations by  Officers of the disbanded Special  Anti-Robbery Squad and other Units of the Nigeria Police relates to several incidents of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by the Police, our records are there to show.”

He further stated that the Commission has conducted several trainings and developed manuals on mainstreaming human rights in the operations of the law enforcement officials including those involved in counter-insurgency operations in the northeast. Similarly, he said the Commission has embarked on a series of advocacy visits and conducted inspections in detention facilities across the country to ensure that their operations are in line with international human rights standards.

He added that: “Where we are not satisfied with what we observe, we make recommendations to appropriate authorities for improvement.”

He equally called on the government to up its game in providing the needed security to everyone living in Nigeria in order to protect them from falling victims of the dreaded kidnap activities which have recently become the order of the day, expressing concern that many victims have lost their lives as a result of the inhuman treatment in which they are subjected to. 

He said: “The government must put a mechanism in place to get rid of these syndicates and prosecute those of them that have been arrested to serve as a deterrent to others.”

NHRC Calls for an End in Torture by Security Agencies

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Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case

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Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case

Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State —

Pandemonium broke out yesterday in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku as a violent group of attackers alleged to be from Ibusa descended on the community in a coordinated assault that left residents injured, properties destroyed, and a serving police officer seriously wounded.

Eyewitness accounts and security sources confirmed that the attack was led by one Lucky Abuah, popularly known as “Bullet,” described by law enforcement authorities as a repeat offender and a person of interest in multiple violent incidents across jurisdictions.

The attackers reportedly invaded the area in broad daylight, unleashing violence on residents and damaging structures before security forces responded.

Swift intervention by officers from the Ogwashi-Uku Area Command and reinforcements from the Delta State Police Headquarters, Asaba, brought the situation under control after an intense confrontation.

The attackers were eventually repelled, restoring a tense calm to the area.

Police sources disclosed that Lucky Abuah is already wanted by authorities in Abuja in connection with similar violent activities, and that criminal charges bordering on aggravated assault and grievous harm have been filed against him at the Delta State High Court.

A senior community leader, Chief Ralph Okafor, reacting to the incident, condemned the attack in strong terms, describing Abuah and his associates as “notorious land grabbers” who have repeatedly carried out violent incursions into neighbouring communities.

“This is not an isolated incident. These individuals have a pattern of using violence and intimidation to push false claims. What happened in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku is a clear example of lawlessness that must be decisively addressed,” he stated.

The attack comes at a highly sensitive time, coinciding with the commencement of proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja on March 18, 2026, before Honourable Justice Omotosho, concerning the proper name and legal location of Admiralty University.

Members of the Ogwashi-Uku community maintain that the institution is situated within Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area, and not in Oshimili North, stressing that local government boundaries are constitutional matters that cannot be altered arbitrarily or by administrative claims.

According to community sources, the recognized boundary between Ibusa (Oshimili North) and Ogwashi-Uku lies several kilometers away from the university’s actual location, and the matter is now squarely before the Federal High Court for judicial determination.

Observers have raised concerns that the violent incident may not be unconnected with attempts by certain elements to preempt or influence ongoing judicial proceedings through intimidation and public pressure.

There are also growing criticisms of calls from some Ibusa figures urging government intervention in a matter already pending before competent courts, a move legal experts describe as a dangerous encroachment on judicial independence.

Chief Okafor further dismissed claims circulating in some quarters about a purported 1986 Supreme Court judgment allegedly settling the boundary dispute, describing such assertions as “false, misleading, and legally untenable.”

“The Delta State Government does not execute court judgments. It is the courts that enforce their decisions through due process. How can anyone suddenly resurrect a supposed judgment from forty years ago, which did not even address boundary issues, and attempt to use it to justify present-day claims? It is completely absurd,” he said.

He emphasized that the actual boundary dispute between the two communities is currently before the Delta State High Court, presided over by Honourable Justice Obi, and urged all parties to respect the judicial process.

“No amount of intimidation, propaganda, or violent grandstanding will alter the facts before the court. Ogwashi-Uku will not be bullied or pushed around by fabricated claims,” he added.

The latest development sharply contradicts recent narratives from Ibusa representatives portraying the community as peaceful and law-abiding, raising serious questions about the credibility of such claims in light of the violent events in Aboh Ogwashi-Uku.

Security has since been reinforced in the affected areas, while residents remain on edge, calling on authorities to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

As tensions continue to rise, all eyes are now on both the Federal High Court in Abuja and the Delta State High Court in Asaba, where the legal battles over boundary and institutional identity are expected to provide definitive answers.

For many observers, however, one thing is clear — the rule of law, not violence, will determine the true ownership and identity of the disputed territory.

Armed Mob Led By “Bullet” Storms Aboh Ogwashi-Uku, Attacks Police Officers, Destroys Property Amid Ongoing Federal Court Case

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RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina

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RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina

By: Zagazola Makama

Security operatives in Katsina have recovered two rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) rifles and large quantities of ammunition from three bandits neutralised in a recent clash with community vigilantes.

Sources said the discovery was made on Wednesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. in Sabon Gida Village, Jibia Local Government Area, following a violent confrontation between vigilante members and repentant bandits on March 17.

According to the sources, a concealed sack recovered from the neutralised bandits contained two RPG rifles, 139 rounds of live ammunition, and two magazine chains.

The items were safely recovered by security personnel.

RPGs, ammunition recovered from neutralised bandits in Katsina

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Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno

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Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno

By: Zagazola Makama

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested two suspected informants linked to ISWAP in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno.

Security sources said the suspects were apprehended at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday following credible intelligence from a watchkeeper on suspicious movements within the Mainok general area.

According to the sources, troops of the 156 Task Force Battalion swiftly responded and intercepted the suspects while moving towards the Goni–Masari axis.

The sources disclosed that the suspects were found in possession of electrical cables at the time of their arrest, raising suspicions over possible sabotage or support activities for terrorist elements.

“They are currently in custody and undergoing preliminary investigation to ascertain their roles and possible links with terrorist groups,” the source said.

He added that the operation underscores the importance of community-based intelligence in ongoing counter-insurgency efforts across the North-East.

The source reaffirmed that troops remain vigilant and committed to denying terrorists freedom of action within their areas of responsibility.

Troops arrest two suspected ISWAP informants in Borno

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