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Remember how Nnamdi Emeh, a whistleblower, revealed an organ trafficking network in the Nigeria Police Force’s Anambra State Command in 2023?
Following his shocking disclosures, he was later arrested on false pretenses of possessing firearms, money laundering, character assassination, and transferring N47 million illegally from one account to another.
According to information obtained, the whistleblower was still detained at the Nigeria Correctional Center even after being granted bail by a Federal High Court in Awka. The police authorities have yet to comment on the accused officers, which is ironic. Almost two years have passed since the accusations were made.
Speaking about the development, rights activist Okechukwu Nwanguma expressed regret that the police hierarchy still does not take the people’s legitimate concerns seriously, even in light of the issues caused by the ENDSARS protests, which were in response to police oppression and brutality.
According to him, human rights abuses still continue to happen, despite the assurances of police authorities to do the right thing by the Nigerian people.
“From the ENDSARS protests, to allegations of organ harvesting by some operatives in Anambra, for which the IGP in response to public outrage set up an investigation which remains inconclusive, to a senior police officer’s indictments in the US for fraud and request by the US for his extradition to answer to charges, to recent cases, as outlined above, of police dabbling into civil disputes in contravention of the Police Act and offering themselves as tools for repressing freedom of expression and political dissent and settling personal scores, among other predatory
and discreditable behavior, human rights remains in retreat in Nigeria despite our claims to being a democratic society,” he said.
Nwanguma observed that the Nigeria Police Act, signed into law in September 2020, aimed to transition the police from a colonial and oppressive force to a democratic, community-centered entity had some inconsistencies.
He regretted that despite the enactment of the Police Act, the subsidiary Police Regulations remain outdated and contradictory, stalling meaningful reform.
The rights activist worried that contributions made by stakeholders towards reviewing the Nigerian Police regulations, to ensure an effective Police system, are yet to be gazetted, calling for urgent action on the reviews.
“Stakeholders have put forth efforts to revise these regulations, yet they await gazetting by the Federal Ministry of Justice, further obstructing progress.
“It is imperative for the Ministry of Justice to prioritize the gazetting of the reviewed Police Regulations. This action is crucial for establishing a new legal framework that facilitates substantial police reform, promotes accountability, and enhances public trust in law enforcement. It is time for the government to commit to real change and address the systemic issues within the Nigeria Police Force,” Nwanguma posited.
