– Urge Uzodinma To beam Searchlight On Operatives Led By Ola
Sequel to the terrible and heart rending information making the rounds, about the activities of operatives of the Tiger Base Unit of the Imo State Police Command, a cross section of Imo people, have called on Governor Hope Uzodinma to beam his searchlight on the activities of the unit and happenings in its detention facility which is said to be worse than Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Concentration camps.
The Tiger Base Unit that is said to be run by the Anti-kidnapping unit of the Imo State Police Command, reportedly headed by one Ola is said to be more like a death chamber where human beings are subjected to all kinds of torture and humiliation, even for civil offences that don’t warrant such over zealous and inhuman actions like beating, torture etc.
Some victims of the terror unleashed by operatives of the Tiger Base Unit who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “suspects often die there in very questionable circumstances”.
According to them, “allegations which are rife that there is no day that breaks that two or more corpses of suspects, most of whom were clamped into the dungeon on allegation of being members of IPOB, are not removed from the Tiger Base Cell.
Those who are lucky to come out alive from the hellish enclave allege that the place is so crammed with people, majority of whom are youths and also stinks to heaven, thereby making it impossible for inmates to breath.
The horrible odour pervading the cell is said to be from rotten injuries from gunshots matchets and sundry other weapons inflicted on some of the suspects in the course of their arrest.
Ordinarily, as stipulated by the law and rules of police engagement, that a suspect is deemed innocent in the eye of the law, until proven guilty, any suspect who sustained injury in course of his arrest, is supposed to be taken to the police clinic for treatment.
But, it is alleged that the commander CSP Ola doesn’t allow that, but, rather allegedly tells whoever cares to listen that he would prefer injured suspects to die, than being treated, to be alive to answer to their alleged crime.
This unprofessional, illegal and wicked modus operandi of the Anti Kidnapping Unit boss, has therefore led to the Tiger Base becoming a death chamber for suspects and not a temporary holding place before prosecution.
This operational strategy is not only highly condemnable, but also should be investigated as it runs counter to all extant laws and provisions on crime detection, investigation and prevention.
There is no criminal law in Nigeria that sanctions extra judicial killing. The laws are unambiguous in their provision that, a suspect is deemed innocent until convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction.
No police Officer, including the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, is empowered by the constitution of Nigeria, to embark on extra judicial activities, particularly killing of suspects, therefore it has become extremely important that, the activities of CSP Ola and his team are quickly scrutinized”.
“Continuing, the sources said, for the avoidance of doubts, it must be said here and now that nobody supports crime and criminality. Capital No. The same way crime and those who commit crimes should be condemned, arrested, prosecuted and jailed, for me, is the same way police operatives who indulge in extra judicial policing should be treated, as that is as bad as crime itself, if not even worse.
“The expectations and yearnings of Imolites is that Gov Hope Uzodinma should start taking more than a passing glance on alleged atrocities being perpetrated by the CSP Ola controlled Tiger Base.
“This is not the first time this clarion call is being made. Several prominent voices in the state like LP governorship candidate in the just held governorship election, Senator Athan Achonu, popular On Air Personality,OAP, Nonsonkwa, to mention a few are among those who have charged the governor on that.
“Now, that the election is over we are looking forward to seeing him taking practical steps towards checkmating the alleged illegal and unprofessional acts going on at the Imo Police Command Anti Kidnapping Unit.
He must institute an investigation into that now. Continuing to keep silent on this grevious matter is no more golden. It’s rather being perceived by Imolites as tacit support for what they are doing”.
