Group accuses DPO of shielding suspects that gang-raped minor

The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre has urged the Imo State Police Command to display professionalism in handling the case of a minor gang raped by identified men in the state.

The Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said this in a petition to the Imo State Commissioner of Police.

He described the behaviour of police investigators over the case as “abuse of police procedure” and castigated the “unprofessional and corrupt conduct by the DPO Ezinihitte Mbaise Division”.

According to Nwanguma, in December 2023, a minor was returning from a church programme at Obibi village in Adakam Amumara when she was waylaid and taken to an uncompleted building, gang-raped and defiled by three men from Obibi.

He said that the case was reported at the Ezinihitte Mbaise Divisional Police Headquarters by the Chief Security Officer of Amumara, Okechukwu Ikenna Inyama.

He said RULAAC made attempts to speak with the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ezinihitte Mbaise Divisional Police to ensure that the investigation of the serious crime was not compromised.

He said: “The DPO and his team continued to dilly dally and are yet to arrest the suspects to date. It turned out that the suspects were young men working with one Chibuenyi Nwachukwu from the same Obibi village who is very close to the Traditional Ruler of Adakam, Eze O.B Nwokocha.

“The Chief Security Officer informed us that Chibuenyi approached the mother of the defiled girl and was offering her money to drop the case.

“On April 18, the Chief Security Officer Okechukwu Inyama called and reported that he was attacked and assaulted, and his dress torn to shreds by armed men led by the same Chibuenyi Nwachukwu who accused him of reporting a case against his boys and accusing him of compounding felony.  He dared him to report him anywhere he wished to.”

RULAAC advised Inyama to report the case of assault to the Police Division.  

He did and Chibuenyi was invited.

“Chibuenyi was accompanied by Eze Nwokocha of Adakam and after the traditional ruler spoke with the DPO privately in his office, Chibuenyi was allowed to go.  Efforts by RULAAC to reach the DPO on the phone to let him know the need not to allow the traditional ruler to influence his actions regarding serious crimes of defilement and assault were frustrated by the DPO who refused to take calls to date,” said Nwanguma.

The activist that said based on RULAAC’s inability to reach the DPO and convinced that the influence of the traditional ruler was interfering with investigations and shielding Chibuenyi, it forwarded a copy of a petition regarding the defilement to the Commissioner of Police, Imo State, who promised to look into the matter with urgency. 

The CP was also informed about the assault and the behaviour of the DPO.

He narrated: “About three days ago, the Chief Security Officer reported that when he got to the Division, the DCO in the presence of the DPO was angrily questioning him for ‘petitioning’ them to the CP and threatened to deal with him for trying to make them lose their jobs.  

“This morning, when the Chief Security Officer went back to the Division in response to a summons by the DPO, which he thought was in furtherance of the investigation of the cases of defilement and assault, he was ordered into a vehicle by the DCO who told him that there was a signal from Zone 9 Umuahia to bring him.

“It is very unfortunate that instead of ensuring a professional and impartial investigation of cases of defilement and assault reported at his Division, a DPO would instead, compromise and instigate the suspect to write a counter-petition against his accuser.

“As we informed the CP Imo, this same Chubuennyi still has a Case of unlawful possession of firearms, threats, and assault pending at D3 State CID Owerri

“Every time he is invited by the police, the traditional ruler of Adakam, Eze Nwokocha would accompany him and make sure the case is swept under.  The Inspector General of Police has issued directives warning against the undue transfer of cases and counter-petitioning in cases that are still under investigation at a police station.”

RULAAC thereafter urged the CP and AIG Zone 9 not to allow the suspect – now turned complainant – to twist or manipulate cases against him to evade justice.

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“We request the AIG to pay particular attention to this case and order an investigation of the conduct of the DPO Ezinihitte and his role in aiding suspects to pervert and evade justice. We request the AIG to kindly order the release of the counter-accused, order an honest and professional investigation and ensure that justice is done. We understand the case is with the Crack Team, Zone 9. The IPO’s name is given as Kennedy,” said Nwanguma.