Police Commissioner Seeks IGP’s Authorisation to Sue NHRC Chief

An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Akin Fakorede, has sought the authorisation of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, to institute a civil suit against the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Anthony Okechuku Ojukwu, for defamation of character.

Ojukwu and Fakorede, a lawyer attached to Zone 13 Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Ukpo, Anambra State are engaged in a fresh face-off over gross abuse of office and attempt to defraud the police of N5million.

The ACP, who is a former commander of the disbanded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in Rivers State, also accused the NHRC chief of display of gross bias and falsification of evidence.

Fakorede’s complaints letter to IGP was dated November 17 and channelled through the Assistant-Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 13, with a November 18 covering letter to the IGP signed by ACP Ibrahim Musa, the zone’s Director of Finance and Administration (DFA), on behalf of the AIG.

A copy of Fakorede’s complaints letter to the IGP was obtained on Sunday by our reporter in Benin.

Copies of the letter were sent to the Attorney-General of the Federation/Minister of Justice; Chairman, Police Service Commission; the Commissioner of Police, Legal Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja; Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba; and Ojukwu.

The executive secretary of NHRC was equally accused of fabrication of evidence and biased investigation against Fakorede, with the commission’s recommendations, recently presented to President Muhammadu Buhari, described as dubious and dishonest.

In late 2018, there was a complaint to NHRC by Ukpeni Victor Asha of Ihuowo in Ahaoda East Local Government of Rivers State, with reference number: NHRC/P.SARS/2018/RVS/7, with Asha claiming that he was informed by a relative that some unknown policemen, suspected to be FSARS operatives, destroyed the roof of his house in the community, following a cult clash that occurred on August 4 and 5, 2018.

NHRC’s hearing notice to FSARS, Erema, Rivers State; Commissioner of Police, Rivers State and IGP, was dated November 7, 2018 and received by FSARS, Port Harcourt on November 13, 2018 for appearance between November 27, 2018 and December 1, 2018 at the Federal High Court, Owerri, Imo State.

Fakorede said: ”It came as a shock and a display of gross bias and falsification of evidence, when I became aware that Ojukwu, without any iota of evidence or existing allegation, presented a report to President Buhari, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; IGP; Police Service Commission; and AGF/Minister of Justice, falsely stating that I ordered the destruction of the building of the petitioner. How Ojukwu came up with the absurd and completely false allegation remains a mystery.

“Even more scandalous, unjust and unconscionable was the recommendation that I be punished with demotion in rank and the sum of N5 million be paid by NPF for the destruction of a property that was never seen or touched by any police officer or FSARS operative. This is a gross abuse of office, authority and trust by the Executive Secretary of NHRC, Mr. Anthony Ojukwu.”