The Civil Rights Realisation and dvancement Network (CRRAN); has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over an unlawful detention of Mr Cletus Nwebor and alleged extortion of N500,000 by some Police Officers from him.
In a release issued by it’s President, Olu Omotayo Esq, and made available to Journalists in Enugu, CRRAN also demanded for the refund of the money by the officers and disciplinary action taken against them.
The statement said in part: “We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mr. Cletus P. Nwebor of No. 18/20 Nike Avenue G.R.A. Enugu.
“Mr. Cletus P. Nwebor and his father Jeofrey Nwebor, had sometimes in November 2022, made a petition to the Commissioner of Police Enugu State titled: “RE: ILLEGAL AND UNLAWFUL FRAUDULENT REMOVAL OF BOUNDARY MARKS WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD BY MR. PAUL OSCAR UDOJI AND MR. IFEANYI NWANDU”.
Omotayo said that while the matter was being investigated at the State CID Enugu, the duo of Paul Oscar Udoji and Ifeanyi Nwandu ran to Police Headquarters Zone 13 and made a petition against the Nwebors. Which made the Nwebors to become suspects at Zone 13.
“According to Cletus he later bailed himself after his arrest at Zone 13 and he reported severally after which the IPO of the case, ASP Okilo, said the matter is a land matter and it should be resolved by the parties.
“Cletus Nwebor decided to approach the court and filed a suit before the Enugu State High Court in: Suit No: E/484/2023, MR. JEOFREY NWEBOR & ANOTHER V. MR. PAUL OSCAR NDOJI & 2 OTHERS.
“Surprisingly on the 13th August 2023, Cletus Nwebor was arrested by a team of policemen led by ASP Okilo, while attending a function in a hotel in Enugu.
“He was thereafter taken to Police Area Command Enugu, where he was detained.
“The IPO ASP Okilo, said his offence was that Cletus jumped bail as he did not come to Zone 13, again but Cletus said that since the Police asked that parties should settle because the case is land matter, he decided to file a suit at an Enugu State High Court, ” the group said.
According to CRRAN: “All efforts by family members to get Cletus, who is sick, on bail were abortive as the Police demanded N1 million, for his bail and that Cletus should write that he will not enter the land in dispute again (which Cletus refused to write).
“Even the intervention of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station who is a family friend of the Nwebors’ could not get Cletus released.
“When ASP Okilo, and his team later agreed to collect part payment of N500,000 Naira, they insisted that Cletus must bring the N500,000 Naira balance on Tuesday 15th August when he is to report at Zone 13 Police Headquarters, Anambra.
“Part of the condition imposed before the release of Cletus was that the N500,000 Naira , should be transferred to the account of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station, who will in turn transfer to one of the officers’ account.
“Cletus transferred the sum of N250,000, to the account of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station and his friends contributed N80,000, N20, 000 and N150,000 respectively to make up another N250,000, which were transferred directly to the account of the DCO Abakaliki Road Police Station making a total of N500,000, which the DCO later transferred to the designated account given by Cletus Captors.
“Cletus was later released from cell at the Area Command Enugu, at about 1am in the night. The mobile transaction receipts evidencing the respective transactions are attached herewith.”
The rights group said it condenmed the action of the police officers, saying that the Nigerian youths should not continue to be intimidated, harassed at will by law enforcement agents.
“No citizen of this country should be forced to part with his hard earned money by security agents who are meant to protect the citizenry.
“We seek your office protection for Cletus Nwebor and demand that these policemen should be stopped from further harassing and extorting money from Cletus and his family.
“We also demand a thorough investigation of this matter and demand that appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against the erring officers in other to serve as deterrent to others.
“We further demand that the sum of N500,000, extorted from Cletus Nwebor be returned back to him immediately, ” CRRAN said.
