Rivers CP Disbands Tactical Unit Over Personnel’s Unprofessional Conduct

PH – The new Commissioner of Police in Rivers State, CP Eboka Friday on Friday announced the dissolution of the Eagle Crack Squad of the command.

The announcement was made this morning after a meeting with his management team.

The tactical unit has been notorious for numerous atrocities including extortion, torture, killing and maiming of citizens.

In December 2019, the unit were alleged to have tortured a mechanic, one Chima Ikwunado to death while in detention, as well as unlawfully inflicted various degrees of injuries on four others, Ifeanyi Onyekwere ‘m’, Ogbonna Victor ‘m’, Ifeanyi Osuji ‘m’ and Osaze Friday ‘m’.

On Thursday, 25th February, 2021, a final year student of University of Portharcourt, had filed a complaint at the Command headquarters against the squad for allegedly extorting the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand naira from him.

Speaking with TNC correspondent, the victim had alleged that a police officer and his team extorted the money from him during a stop-and-search where they accused him and his friend of being fraudsters.

He revealed that the yet-to- be identified Police officer, mistakenly forgot his mobile phone in his car, after the whole episode.

According to him, he only discovered the phone in his car when he got home.

“After transferring the money, they told us to go. When I got home, I noticed that there was a phone in my car which I recognized as the phone one of the policemen was using to make calls while in my car. I went through the call logs and saw the name of some police officers and that was when I realized it was theirs. I removed the battery and switched it off,” he narrated.

The student also said the police officers had threatened to shoot him if he refuses to give them the money they demanded for, prompting him to take them to an ATM around the Ikoku area of Port Harcourt, where the withdrawal was made.

“After some hours of negotiation, we concluded on 150,000. They now took me to a Stanbic IBTC ATM where I withdrew 70,000 from my own account and gave to them. I also begged a friend who transferred 60,000 to my account and I withdrew 30,000 and gave them cash while they asked me to transfer the remaining 30,000 to an FCMB account with account name, Ordu Fortune and account number, 1630887024,” he revealed.

Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, SP Nnamdi Omoni who had yesterday said he is aware of the incident and the matter is being investigated, revealed on Friday, in a statement made available to TNC correspondent, that the dissolution of the Unit, follows complaints of unprofessional conduct exhibited by the Personnel of the Unit.

“Recall that the CP in his Maiden Press Briefing on Tuesday, promised to address all cases of infractions by the Police and increase supervision of the men, with a stern warning to deal with erring officers and hold DPOs/HODs vicariously liable.

“The dissolution is with immediate effect and all Personnel attached to the Unit are to report to the Headquarters for redeployment.

“The public is hereby enjoined to rekindle their trust in the Police, as the Command is committed to giving them improved Policing services that will stand the test of time,” the statement said.

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