RULAAC demands investigation of Police unit fingered in murder of mechanic in Portharcourt

The Rule of Law and Accountability Centre (RULAAC) has called for comprehensive investigation and overhaul of Eagle Crack, a police Unit at Mile 1 Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The call is coming against the backdrop of a recent case of the alleged arrest, unlawful detention, torture and framing of false charges against an innocent mechanic identified as Chima Ikwunado by the said E-Crack team.

Last week, a Facebook post was made by one Comrade Phills narrating the alleged murder of an innocent mechanic, by policemen attached to the Unit in Port Harcourt.

According to him, the mechanic, as well as other colleagues and apprentices- Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji and Ifeanyi Onyekwere, were arrested in December by the Policemen while driving against traffic in two different cars.

They were allegedly framed as robbers after the police found 150 thousand nairas on them and in the process of trying to get them to confess to the crime they had not committed, the police at mile one police station in Port Harcourt allegedly ended up torturing the said Chima to death.

The cars, which the mechanics were arrested in, were said to belong to clients of the mechanics who had brought them for different repair works and one of the car owners has since come forward to confirm that his vehicle was never stolen.

Speaking to our correspondent in Awka, the Executive Director of the RULAAC, Okey Nwangwuma alleged that the police unit has been associated with arbitrary arrests, unlawful detention, brutality and extrajudicial killings of innocent people.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police to arrest the corrupt and brutal operatives attached to the unit and save the lives of citizens, especially four others who were falsely charged and remanded in prison custody by the same operatives.

“The recent case of alleged arrest, unlawful detention, torture and framing of false charges against an innocent mechanic identified as Chima, and his eventual murder by the operatives of this notorious unit who also allegedly falsely charged 4 others leading to their remand in prison custody, warrants thorough, impartial and exhaustive investigation to ensure that the truth and full facts are unravelled and justice attained.

“This is the time to rein in the undisciplined, corrupt and brutal operatives attached to this notorious unit and save the lives of citizens,” he posited.

According to Nwanguma, it is unfortunate that security agents whose responsibility it is to protect the lives and property of the people are now killing the people.

“This boils down to restoring the integrity of the Police and mending the frail relationship which exists between the Police and the People. While RULAAC appreciates all the efforts made by the Police hierarchy to redeem the image of the force, this incident is one that if not properly handled and the culprits penalized, can ruin every stride to sanitize the force.

We, therefore, urge the IGP to wade into this matter to bring justice for the slain innocent citizen,” the RULAAC executive director added.

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