DECLARING Wednesday 29th January as “Black Wednesday,” Nigerians are demanding investigations into the death of Chima Ikwunado allegedly tortured to death by officers of E-Crack division in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital and unlawful detention of four others arrested alongside the deceased.
Chima, a mechanic was said to have been arrested by the officers with allegations that he had stolen a car alongside Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji and Ifeanyi Onyekwere who did not offer enough bribe to the police officers.
The families of Chima said they had visit the Mile 1 Police Station in Port Harcourt to secure his bail but the police were not forthcoming.
They alleged that Chima before his death had sustained various injuries from torture by officers of the police division.
With over 15 thousand social media posts under the hashtag #JusticeForChima, Nigerians called on relevant authorities to get ‘justice for the deceased and four others in detention’.
The Commander of the E-Crack team, Benson Adetuyi and the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) on the case identified as Inspector Sam were fingered to have wrongly charged the four others of robbery and cultism while covering up the allegation of torture by the police.
Amnesty International, a human rights advocacy group also called for an impartial and thorough investigation into the alleged torture to death of Chima by the police officers.
“Amnesty International is calling on Nigerian authorities to investigate the killing of Chima; in custody of Mile 2 Police station in Port Harcourt. Chima is the latest victim of frequent torture, extrajudicial killings & extortion by Nigerian police,” Amnesty International wrote.
According to a video of one of the incarcerated victims reported to have been released today, he said Chima died at the hands of the police officers that tortured them.
With evident major injuries, he narrated how they were falsely accused and ‘maltreated’ by men of the E-Crack team of the police.
The spokesperson for the Rivers state police command, Nnamdi Omoni told The ICIR that the police is yet to conclude investigations in the matter.
He said the commissioner of police in the state, Mustapha Dandaura had ordered the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) to investigate the allegations and should hold a press briefing about the matter as soon as investigations are concluded.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via [email protected], on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94