Crime
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.
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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
NDLEA Arrests Octogenarians, Others in Sweeping Nationwide Drug Crackdown
By: Michael Mike
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested two elderly men—aged 83 and 78—alongside several other suspects in a series of coordinated anti-drug operations across multiple states, underscoring the agency’s intensified offensive against illicit drug trafficking in Nigeria.
The agency disclosed that the 83-year-old suspect, Pa John Ofiel, was apprehended last Tuesday during a raid at Samek area by Powerline in Abia State.
The spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, said acting on credible intelligence, NDLEA officers stormed the location and recovered 700 grammes of skunk—a potent strain of cannabis—packaged in retail sachets. The octogenarian was said to have told investigators he had previously worked as a shoemaker before venturing into drug distribution.
In a similar operation in Ekiti State, 78-year-old, Ogunjobi Samuel was arrested last Thursday at his residence in Ilupeju-Ekiti. Officers recovered 350 grammes of skunk from the suspect, reinforcing concerns about the widening demographic of individuals involved in drug peddling.
The crackdown extended to Oyo State, where two women—Rebecca King, 24, and Olaniyan Opeyemi, 31—were arrested in connection with the seizure of 1.925 kilogrammes of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant. King was intercepted along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, while Opeyemi was later arrested at Iwo Road, Ibadan, attempting to receive the consignment.
In a separate operation in Ibadan, NDLEA operatives captured a long-wanted drug dealer, Taofik Adeyemi, 49, who had reportedly evaded arrest for months. He was apprehended on Saturday alongside an associate, Mustapha Oyerinde, 28, at his residence in Erunmu area.
Babafemi said recovered items from the clampdown included 3.085 kilogrammes of skunk and a Toyota Camry vehicle. He noted that two of Adeyemi’s alleged accomplices had earlier been arrested in December 2025 and are currently facing prosecution.
Further arrests were recorded in Osun State, where a 65-year-old driver, Oladayo Awoyemi, was caught transporting 7 kilogrammes of skunk and 15 grammes of methamphetamine along the Ibadan-Ilesha Expressway. A follow-up operation led to the arrest of the alleged consignment’s owner, Ifedayo Babalola, in Ilesha.
In the North-East, NDLEA operatives intercepted large quantities of opioids in Borno State. A 27-year-old suspect, Yahaya Shehu, was arrested with 76,440 pills of Tramadol, while another operation led to the seizure of 14,000 capsules and the arrest of additional suspects linked to the consignment.
The agency also reported a major seizure along the Abuja-Jos highway in Kaduna State, where 290 kilogrammes of compressed cannabis were recovered from two suspects. In Jigawa State, nearly 50,000 capsules of Tramadol were seized from two individuals during a roadside operation in Hadejia.
In Lagos State, NDLEA operatives raided Awolowo Market in Mushin, recovering a staggering 740 kilogrammes of skunk.
Meanwhile, in Edo State, a suspect identified as Godstime Godspower was arrested with various illicit substances, including Loud, Colorado, Tramadol, Swinol, and methamphetamine.
Beyond enforcement, the NDLEA said it has continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitisation campaign nationwide, targeting schools, religious centres, and community groups. Recent outreach programmes were held in Niger, Kano, Anambra, Lagos, and Edo states, among others.
Chairman and Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), commended officers across the affected states for their operational successes. He emphasised the importance of maintaining a balance between aggressive drug supply reduction and sustained public education to curb demand.
The latest arrests, particularly those involving elderly suspects, highlight a troubling trend in Nigeria’s drug trade, where individuals across age groups are increasingly being drawn into illicit activities amid ongoing enforcement pressure.
NDLEA Arrests Octogenarians, Others in Sweeping Nationwide Drug Crackdown
Two Impostors in Military Uniform Arrested in Kaduna
By Zagazola Makama
Security operatives have arrested two suspected impostors dressed in military camouflage in Jema’a Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Security sources said the suspects were apprehended at about 8:30 p.m. on May 1 along Bauchi Street in Kafanchan town by troops of Sector 7 of Operation Safe Haven.
The sources disclosed that the suspects were found wearing military uniforms, raising suspicion among security personnel on patrol.
According to the sources, preliminary investigation revealed that the camouflage uniforms allegedly belonged to a serving soldier who is currently on pass.
They added that the suspects are in custody for further investigation to determine their motives and possible involvement in criminal activities.
The sources further said efforts are ongoing to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensure appropriate action is taken.
Two Impostors in Military Uniform Arrested in Kaduna
Troops Raid Another Suspected IPOB/ESN Hideout in Enugu Forest
By Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have conducted an offensive operation in a forest in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State, targeting suspected hideouts of IPOB/ESN members.
Security sources said the operation was carried out at about 6:30 a.m. on May 1 by troops comprising personnel of 82 Division Garrison, 103 Battalion and 197 Special Forces Battalion, supported by air components, police operatives and forest guards.
The sources disclosed that the operation followed intelligence reports on suspected activities of IPOB/ESN elements around the Ajali Forest.
According to the sources, troops located and searched a cave believed to have been used by the group as a holding facility for kidnapped victims.
They, however, noted that nothing of significant value was recovered during the search.
The sources added that security operations are ongoing in the area to sustain pressure on criminal elements and prevent further activities within the forest.
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