Opinion: The Recent Police Deployments: Where is President Buhari?

Posted by African Examiner Articles/Opinion, Latest Headlines Sunday, August 30th, 2015

An outrage: Relations, sympathizers and friends of the family of Late Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba have recently blown their tops following a rude awakening on the recent police deployment across Nigeria. Of course, police officers and other law enforcement agents who have risen above board in the discharge of their duties to the nation should always be promoted and appreciated for the sacrifices they make for our beloved country, Nigeria. However, when a child is crying and pointing a finger at one direction with some uninterrupted persistence and consistency, the father, mother or guardian of that child has to look in that direction as much as probe, in details, whatever that child is pointing a finger towards. Such an unusual and discomforting event cannot be ignored by those parents nor will the deep distress of the child be glossed over. We are appealing to our own President Buhari to please order a totally independent investigation into the kidnap and murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba.

For some serious reasons, the above-mentioned group has considered the recent deployment of Mr. Ballah Nasarawa (AIG) and Mr. Dibal P. Yakadi (CP) to Zone 7 (Abuja) and Benue, respectively, as unconscionable as it is outrageous. Well-meaning Nigerians could easily recall that for months and even years now, both public and private appeals have been made to the powers that be, with heartfelt pleas for an independent investigation into the “kidnap” and now confirmed murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba in Anambra state. Late Mr. Udemba, a plywood dealer and a good citizen of Nigeria, was kidnapped on March 21, 2012 at Nkwelle-Ezunaka axis in Anambra state. Suffice it to mention that Mr. Udemba was not affiliated to any political party but a demonstrated patriot. Since his disappearance, every effort to get the law enforcement agents in Anambra state to investigate his kidnap either met a brick wall or was shrouded in an untold mystery. A notable breakthrough and attempts by some dedicated police officers from a close-by state to get to the masterminds of Mr. Udemba’s disappearance was believed to have been finally “rubbished” in Anambra state under the watch of Mr. Akila Gwarry and Mr. Dibal Yakadi who were both commissioner and deputy commissioner of police respectively. We are appealing to the Presidency to order a totally independent investigation into the kidnap and murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba.

We are inclined to believe that the members of the family of now late Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba were, undoubtedly, among the Nigerian families, joyfully excited following the recent change in the Nigerian Federal government. Imagine what the wife and children of this man must have done when the name of President Muhammadu Buhari was announced as the winner of the 2015 Presidential election. With Mr. Buhari’s successful emergence, his entire family had hoped that something different would happen, which might possibly usher in a safe return of their husband and father. But that did not happen as they anticipated. Rather, after almost four years of imposed agony, another sad but more painful news of Mr. Udemba’s corpse having been “discovered” in a local mortuary at Otuocha was delivered to them. What an additional psychological trauma to an over three-year ordeal. We are hereby appealing to our President to please order a totally independent investigation into the kidnap and murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba.

What is more troubling and difficult to believe is that after names of some police officers were recommended for probe over what they “know” about the kidnap and now murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba in Anambra state, the Nigerian Police Force recently and almost defiantly proceeded to deploy a couple of them to some states as both Commissioner and Assistant Inspect General (AIG) of police, anyway, whereas the family of Mr. Udemba is still languishing over what should have been a preventable loss of their loved one. Nobody seems to give a damn. It is now becoming extremely difficult to decipher whose job it is to check and balance what happens in the Nigerian Police Force. Must Nigeria be rendered “useless” again before the Police Service Commission is given some root and branch overhaul? Mr. Udemba was kidnapped since 2012 when Mr. Ballah Nasarawa and Mr. Dibal Paul Yakadi were, respectively, commissioner and deputy commissioner of police in Anambra state. Mr. Yakadi was also reported as being in-charge of kidnap cases in Anambra state during that period and perhaps throughout his long stay in Anambra state as a police officer. Reports from Mr. Udemba’s close relations have revealed that every attempt previously made to reach some of the mentioned police officers on this criminal case met with unnecessary aggression, resistance, intimidation and some unprofessional response. Officers previously recommended for a probe, in

connection to this case, include: Mr. Ballah Nasarawa (CP), Mr. Dibal Paul Yakadi (DCP), Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka (P.R.O), Mr. Alex Okeiyi (Director DSS, Anambra state) and Mr. James Nwafor (Director, SARS). We are convinced that at least one of these law enforcement agents should be able to cooperate with any trusted panel set up by the Federal Government so that this “mystery” could be solved once and for all. We are, therefore, appealing to our own President Muhammadu Buhari to order a totally independent investigation into the kidnap and murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba.

A billion naira question that the public have not stopped asking is what response Mr. Ballah Nasarawa gave to the then Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Mohammed D. Abubakar when he requested for a report from him over this criminal case (Ref: CB.7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.104/556; Ref: CB.7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.171/571). Why did the Anambra state DSS (SSS) Director, Mr. Okeiyi, who began his own investigation on this criminal case, made a remarkable breakthrough but stopped short of getting to the end of it? Did he find “something” along the line and recoiled from moving further? Some people believe that he was on the verge of smoking out the sponsors and masterminds of this kidnap and murder crime when some “forces” stopped him. If that is true, who are (were) those “forces”? Are they greater than Nigeria? If there are indeed forces within Nigeria that are greater than the country even in this present dispensation, then all of us are still in a very serious internal security trouble. Why did the Anambra state police PRO, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka prematurely announce the name of a secondary suspect(s) that was (were) handed over to the Anambra state police department from a sister state, without waiting for further probe into the alleged sponsors and masterminds of Mr. Udemba’s kidnap and now confirmed murder? Why should that happen in the first place? Is that not an act of sabotage? Where is commitment and professionalism? We are really saddened about how matters of life and death were (are still) being treated in our country. Please, Your Excellency, President Buhari, help this long-suffering family to get to the root of what happened to their husband and father and who the masterminds are. Anambra state needs to know who they are. Also, Nigerians need to know who they are.

Undoubtedly, the wife and children of this man are still mourning and agonizing; asking for help and praying for intervention from God. They are, also, seriously asking for

intervention from President Muhammadu Buhari, the Inspector General of Police and DG, SSS to help them get to the root of what happened to Mr. Udemba as well as ferret out the masterminds of his kidnap and now confirmed murder. Is this end achievable in Nigeria? Yes, we believe that it is achievable? Who are the sponsors of this man’s kidnap? Did “somebody” or “some people” receive huge bribes in order to help or permit this nefarious mission go through? A huge sum of 3.5 million naira was desperately paid to the kidnappers to save the life of Mr. Udemba. Who and who shared that big amount of money? Who are those people who aided and abetted this heinous crime? Moreover, with the corpse of Mr. Udemba still in a local mortuary at Otuocha, Anambra state; as the current report indicates, people have been wondering if a reliable autopsy and proper forensic analysis have been conducted. We all know that these measures might help dedicated and honest investigators to determine what actually happened to Mr. Udemba, how it happened and possible clues as to who might have done that. We are hereby appealing to our own President Buhari to order a totally independent investigation into the kidnap and murder of Mr. Emmanuel Chukwuemeka Udemba.

What does it take to conduct an honest, reliable and transparent investigation into a criminal and murder case like this in Nigeria? Understandably, Mr. Udemba’s family has almost been impoverished after the sum of 3.5 million naira was helplessly paid out to save his life. However, with certainty, some of his townsmen, friends and people of goodwill are able as well as ready and willing now to defray the cost of investigations into the kidnap and murder of someone everyone in his town always considered a good person and a good citizen of Nigeria. They seem quite ready now to assist provided that the real sponsors of this man’s kidnap and murder are found and exposed by truly committed law enforcement agents in Nigeria.

A few interviews recently conducted reveals that some of his townsfolk, friends and other people of goodwill stand ready to support the police if finance is the problem. But nobody has been able to find out from the Nigerian police or the DG, SSS what the problem is. Could it be that the usual delay tactics and frustrating strategies are being deployed again? At this point, everyone is interested in knowing what the problem is; especially, when every tactile evidence was made available, from 2012 till this day, so as to help the police and the DSS in

Anambra state to finish this job. But that has not happened. Moreover, every circumstantial evidence is there (in the Anambra State Police Department and SARS) to help honest police officers and the DSS agents scoop up all the masterminds of this man’s kidnap and murder. Again, what is the problem? Why the continued delay that constitutes continued danger to the lives and property of his family members and relations? Please, we are convinced that the citizens of Anambra state and all Nigerians would like to know what the problem is now. We are appealing to our own President Muhammadu Buhari to please direct the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase to order a full-scale-independent investigation into the kidnap and murder of Mr. Udemba.