The Network on Police Reform in Nigeria
(NOPRIN) has urged the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mr Solomon
Arase, to investigate a general overseer, whose church is located at
Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State, for allegedly collecting N5 million from a
detainee’s family in order to get his bail.
NOPRIN National Coordinator, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguman, urged the IG to ascertain the information the organisation received from the family of the detainee that one Prophet Babalola had so far deceitfully and fraudulently obtained from them over N5 million, ostensibly to assist them to ‘settle some top management police officers in Abuja’ and secure the release of the suspect.
According to Nwanguman, the detainee, Afam Nriezedi, was arrested on January 17, by officers from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos. He said that SARS denied Nriezedi’s family members and legal representative access to him.
One of the policemen, Abdurrahman, allegedly told Nriezedi’s family members that their brother was wanted for being in possession of four AK47 rifles belonging to the police. About two weeks later, they read in some national dailies that Nriezedi was an informant to a kidnap gang which allegedly abducted two prominent oil dealers in Lagos.
The family members said they were perplexed because the initial information the police gave them was that their brother was wanted allegedly for being in possession of four AK 47 rifles belonging to the police. Nwanguman said: “Nriezedi’s family members have not been allowed, despite several efforts, to see him, ask him some questions and hear his response to the allegations levelled against him.
They said they seriously doubted the allegation by the police because they are not aware of their brother’s involvement in any criminal act, let alone one involving the use of firearms.” When NOPRIN received the case on April 27, Nwanguman said he called the Officer in Charge of SARS, Ikeja, Mr Abba Kyari, and inquired from him about it. The O/C SARS replied through a text message: “My brother, he is a member of a kidnapping gang that kidnapped Mr. Ademola owner of Dapsy Oil and Alh Fashola owner of Kings Oil.
The arrest of Afam Nriezedi; Chukwube, Kelvin and etc was celebrated all over the newspapers and television. We are still making serious efforts to arrest Ikechukwu and two others before they will form new gang to kidnap innocent citizens again.
Thanks.” Nwanguman said: “Curiously, on May 3, one Prophet Babalola, a self-styled general overseer at Ogba, called one of the accused person’s sisters, Mrs Ngozi Nriezedi, who worships in his church and informed her that some police officers from Abuja had come to Lagos to pick up a file relating to the case from SARS, Ikeja.
“The ‘man of God’ told her that the officers would like to meet with any member of their family. Mrs Ngozi Nriezedi went to see the ‘man of God’ in his church and he gave her one of his workers who took her to a hotel in Ikeja where she met a man who claimed to be Police Officer Patrick and who claimed that he was a member of the police team from Abuja.”
NOPRIN National Coordinator, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguman, urged the IG to ascertain the information the organisation received from the family of the detainee that one Prophet Babalola had so far deceitfully and fraudulently obtained from them over N5 million, ostensibly to assist them to ‘settle some top management police officers in Abuja’ and secure the release of the suspect.
According to Nwanguman, the detainee, Afam Nriezedi, was arrested on January 17, by officers from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja, Lagos. He said that SARS denied Nriezedi’s family members and legal representative access to him.
One of the policemen, Abdurrahman, allegedly told Nriezedi’s family members that their brother was wanted for being in possession of four AK47 rifles belonging to the police. About two weeks later, they read in some national dailies that Nriezedi was an informant to a kidnap gang which allegedly abducted two prominent oil dealers in Lagos.
The family members said they were perplexed because the initial information the police gave them was that their brother was wanted allegedly for being in possession of four AK 47 rifles belonging to the police. Nwanguman said: “Nriezedi’s family members have not been allowed, despite several efforts, to see him, ask him some questions and hear his response to the allegations levelled against him.
They said they seriously doubted the allegation by the police because they are not aware of their brother’s involvement in any criminal act, let alone one involving the use of firearms.” When NOPRIN received the case on April 27, Nwanguman said he called the Officer in Charge of SARS, Ikeja, Mr Abba Kyari, and inquired from him about it. The O/C SARS replied through a text message: “My brother, he is a member of a kidnapping gang that kidnapped Mr. Ademola owner of Dapsy Oil and Alh Fashola owner of Kings Oil.
The arrest of Afam Nriezedi; Chukwube, Kelvin and etc was celebrated all over the newspapers and television. We are still making serious efforts to arrest Ikechukwu and two others before they will form new gang to kidnap innocent citizens again.
Thanks.” Nwanguman said: “Curiously, on May 3, one Prophet Babalola, a self-styled general overseer at Ogba, called one of the accused person’s sisters, Mrs Ngozi Nriezedi, who worships in his church and informed her that some police officers from Abuja had come to Lagos to pick up a file relating to the case from SARS, Ikeja.
“The ‘man of God’ told her that the officers would like to meet with any member of their family. Mrs Ngozi Nriezedi went to see the ‘man of God’ in his church and he gave her one of his workers who took her to a hotel in Ikeja where she met a man who claimed to be Police Officer Patrick and who claimed that he was a member of the police team from Abuja.”
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