Crime

NHRC Calls for an End in Torture by Security Agencies

Published

3 years ago

June 28, 2022

News Net Global

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

Crime

One killed, four injured in farmers-herders clash in Gombe

Published

12 hours ago

October 27, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

One killed, four injured in farmers-herders clash in Gombe

By: Zagazola Makama

One person has been confirmed dead and four others injured following a clash between farmers and herders in Komi District, Funakaye Local Government Area of Gombe State.

Zagazola Makama learnt that the incident occurred on Oct. 26, 2025, at about 6:15 p.m., during a fracas that erupted as a result of a disagreement between farmers and herders in the area.

During the altercation, Mohammed Jibrin, aged 27, a farmer from Komi District, sustained serious injuries, while three other farmers and one herder suffered minor injuries.

Police operatives led by the O/C Wawa swiftly visited the scene, and the critically injured victim was taken to General Hospital Biri, Nafada LGA, where he later died while receiving treatment. His remains were released to the family for burial according to Islamic rites.

The other injured persons were treated and discharged at Wawa Primary Health Care Centre, Funakaye LGA.

The police said normalcy has been restored to the area, while monitoring continues to prevent further escalation.

One killed, four injured in farmers-herders clash in Gombe

Crime

Police arrest UNIJOS student for killing, burying colleague in shallow grave

Published

1 day ago

October 26, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

Police arrest UNIJOS student for killing, burying colleague in shallow grave

By: Zagazola Makama

The Police Command in Plateau has arrested a 23-year-old student of the University of Jos for allegedly killing and burying his colleague in a shallow grave inside his room at Rusau village in Jos North Local Government Area.

Sources confirmed the incident on Sunday in Jos, citing a report received from the institution’s Chief Security Officer.

According to the sources , the suspect, identified as David Nanpon Timmap, a 300-level student of the university, allegedly attacked and matcheted Peter Mata Mafurai, aged 22, to death in his residence.

Following the distress call received at about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Divisional Police Officer of Laranto Division led a team of officers to the scene, where the suspect was arrested.

The sources said investigations revealed that the suspect buried the deceased in a shallow grave he dug inside his room. The remains of the victim were exhumed and deposited at Bingham University Teaching Hospital morgue for autopsy.

The sources said the suspect is in custody while an investigation is ongoing to ascertain the motive behind the killing.

Police arrest UNIJOS student for killing, burying colleague in shallow grave

Crime

NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater

Published

2 days ago

October 26, 2025

Ochuwa Ibrahim

NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater

By: Michael Mike

A total of 70 parcels factory packed cocaine in walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers heading to London, United Kingdom have been uncovered at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with three suspects arrested in series of follow-up operations across Lagos.

A statement by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi on Sunday stated that the cocaine consignments weighing 3.6 kilogrammes were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight.

It added that a cargo agent Lawal Olakunle who presented the consignment for airfreight was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.

Babafemi said in a follow up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker Ogunmuyide Taiwo was arrested following which Mutiu Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, Mutiu Adebiyi & Co, was arrested at his 23 Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office last Monday.

In a similar development, attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national Lemena Mark to export 103.59 grammes of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian airlines flight from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu last Wednesday was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.

No fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro local government area of Kwara state following credible intelligence last Tuesday.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday raided Proxy Night club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island where a drug party was going on. Over 100 suspects including the owner of the club Mike Nwogu alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening.

Cartons of illicit substances including Loud, and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.

The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11pm on Saturday 25th October however disrupted the gathering at 3am on Sunday based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, were last Tuesday arrested with 450,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mubi, Adamawa state.

While NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi state seized 162.200 kilogrammes skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck last Friday, operatives in Nasarawa state last Wednesday recovered 128 kilogrammes of same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi area of the state.

A mother of two Oyonumoh Effiong who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA operatives last Friday during a raid at her Lekki home where 500 grammes of the illicit substances were recovered.

In Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers last Thursday raided the home of a suspect Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe at Solomade estate where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.

A 75-year-old grandpa Echendu Onuoka was last Wednesday arrested at Ovum village, Obingwa local government area, Abia state with 4.7 kilogrammes skunk seized from him while a 60-year-old grandma Aukana John was nabbed with 225 grammes of same substance at Apanta village, in the same local government area.

While 150 kilogrammes skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, Ikun Akoko, Ondo state, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5 kilogrammes of same substance at Yan aya , Saminaka in Lere local government area, Kaduna last Friday just as another set of suspects: Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.

At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives last Wednesday nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55 kilogrammes skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry while Amusa Oluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga Badagry.

In Zamfara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road last Monday arrested a suspect Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of AK 47 riffle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, for AK 47 and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka local government area, Zamfara. Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.

Babafemi said with the same vigour, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd) While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests, and seizures, urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the agency.

NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater