Blame police corruption for escape of Anambra lawmaker’s killers – HURIWA

Blame police corruption for escape of Anambra lawmaker’s killers – HURIWA

The reported escape of two suspects linked to the murder of Anambra State lawmaker, Justice Azuka, from police custody has sparked outrage, with the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) describing the incident as a reflection of deep-rooted corruption and impunity within the Nigeria Police Force.

The civil rights group said the development underscores long-standing issues of indiscipline, lack of professionalism, and systemic failures within the force.

HURIWA also criticized the Police Service Commission (PSC) for its alleged inability to hold erring officers accountable, arguing that this failure has emboldened rogue police personnel to engage in unethical dealings with criminals, including accused murderers.

“It is therefore not surprising to millions of discerning Nigerians to hear that two suspected killers of the Anambra State legislator were allowed to escape by the police. The information that the DPO had ordered for an investigation is a red herring and absolutely laughable because this sort of scandal is deeply rooted within the police circles and can only be solved not by a lackadaisical approach but by massive structural reforms within the police to eradicate the bad and rotten eggs who are in greater percentage in the NPF,” the group said.

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In a statement issued by its national coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA accused some corrupt officers of swapping real criminals with randomly arrested innocent individuals, particularly those unable to pay bribes to secure their release.

“Many innocent youths have been taken to prison facilities and are languishing as awaiting trial inmates even when they have no real cases against their names in reality but for being unfortunate and poor,” HURIWA stated.
The group alleged that police collusion with suspects facing serious criminal charges has long been a problem within the system. It called for the immediate arrest and detention of all officers in the division from which the escape occurred, pending a full investigation.

“The police officers should face investigation and prosecution if found culpable in this despicable act of sabotaging the criminal law of Anambra State, damaging in a massive way the corporate name of the Nigeria Police Force,” the statement read.

HURIWA further criticized successive governments for failing to implement meaningful police reforms, arguing that the force has remained a “cesspool of corruption” due to entrenched political interests.
“There has always been this atmosphere of ‘I will do whatever I like’ provided I have backers on top of the command and control structure of the police and the heavens won’t fall. The escape of the killers of the Anambra State legislator shows how fundamental the imperative of surgically reforming the decadent federal policing institution in Nigeria has become. The current constitutional amendment process is our nation’s opportunity to rid the police of these evil machinations that have constituted themselves into formidable forces of retrograde,” the group stated.

HURIWA urged authorities to take decisive action against those responsible, emphasizing that without accountability, the police force will continue to be plagued by corruption and misconduct.