From: Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The Civil Liberty Organisation (CLO) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), over alleged brutalisation of an unidentified middle-aged man, by NSCDC operatives in the state.
According to a petition by Chairman Bayelsa Chapter of CLO, Chief Nengi James-Eriworio, the unidentified man was allegedly beaten to stupor by NSCDC operatives at Opolo road, while whisking him away.
James-Eriworio, in the petition, accused the NSCDC officials of alleged human rights violation, gross misconduct and abuse of office and demanded that the authorities of the Nigerian Police and the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) prevail on the NSCDC to produce the body of the brutalised man dead or alive.
The petition stated that though the initial alarm over the incident was raised by a legal practitioner from the Rex Ogbuku& Associates, the civil society group in Bayelsa are determined to get to the root of the matter.
The petition read in part “We wish to draw the attention of the petitioned authorities over the misconduct of officers of the Civil Defence Corps who beat up a man to the point of death and left in a pool of blood while on duty at Opolo on the 11th of April, 2017.
Efforts by neighbours and lawyers at the scene to help the victim were rebuffed by the accused personnel of the NSCDC. When some person tried to inquire the offence of the half dead victim, they threatened to beat up the people. The victim was later taken to unknown destination. The people present at the scene claimed that it was the practice with NSCDC personnel and no consequences had followed their oppressive and outrageous conduct.”
“The CLO demand that the Commandant General of the NSCDC should carry out a proper investigation of the matter and the said officers involved, if found culpable should be punished in accordance with the constitution and other rules and regulation guiding the NSCDC. That the officers of the Civil Defence Corps took the man to Diette Koki Memorial Hospital and after which took the man away while he was unconscious to an unknown destination and has where about is still unknown.”
Investigations at the Diete Koko Hospital indicated that NSCDC personnel brought an unconscious man to the hospital.
He was said to have developed some medical conditions and was treated before he was taken away by the NSCDC operatives.
Sources at the Bayelsa State Command of the NSCDC said the leadership of the command are yet to identify those behind the incident because no personnel from the Command was on duty at Opolo when the incident happened.