Juliana Francis
A member of the Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) has demanded that the Divisional Crime Officer (DCO) of Egba Division, should stop dappling into civil matters.
According to Leftist Aimuae-Osa Igbinomwanhia on 19th September 2022, Mr Nosakhare Ogbebor was invited by the Nigeria Police, Egba Division over a land dispute, on getting to the Police Station he was put in the cell immediately without asking for his name because the DCO has put a call across to the officer in the charge room.
Igbinomwanhia said: “When we got to Egba Division to get further information, they said we should wait for the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) and the DCO that they had gone to the state headquarters, till 7:pm they didn’t come. On 20th September 2022, we went to Egba Division to see the DPO, reaching there the DPO saw both parties. The DPO then said the suspect should be granted bail immediately, but the IPO said the wife of the suspect couldn’t take her husband on bail as he claimed it’s the Police rules. Latter the suspect brother came but the IPO and the DCO said they couldn’t find the suspect file that was missing.”
The activist further stated: “It is clear that the DCO has a personal interest in this civil matter. The IPO and the DCO have also been conducting pre-trial already, trial within trial. Many residents have also accused the DOC of Ikhue N’ Iyanomo Community of being loyal to the Ohen Obaro of the community rather than the Supreme authority of the Nigeria Constitution and the Police Act. I am appealing to the Commissioner of Police Edo State, CP. Yaro to investigate the activities of the DOC, the Ohen Obaro of Ikhue N’Iyanomon which now supersedes the constituted authority. This type of police officer is dragging the name of the highly respected Nigeria Police Force into the mud. Haven’t discovered this act of jeopardy, a call was put across to the PPRO, but we are yet to get his response on the issue. It seems impossible for a citizen to get justice because of dip pocket.”
Igbinomwanhia said that later, the swift response of the Nigeria Police authority, most especially the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) John Emmanuel, ensured the release of the suspect.
“The suspect Nosakhare Ogbebor was immediately released unconditionally on the 20th of September 2022. I’ll advise the DPO Egba Division to make his mobile number available for easy access to reach out to him directly. The DPO Egba Division should follow up and monitor the activities of the mighty DCO who has to turn the Egba Police Division into a safe haven for land grabbers to oppress their victims. The DCO is a vessel of evil, a point man of Ohen Obaro, Ikhue N’ Iyanomon and other oppressive elements in his jurisdiction. The activities of the members of Edo State Security Network (Vigilante) in that domain should be scrutinised, they are now stooge to land grabbers especially in Ikhue N’ Iyanomon community, where the most deadly squad has been recruited into the security outfit to perpetrate evil and to be able to act with impunity. The Nigerian Police Force Legal Department, Zone 5,” said Igbinomwanhia.
