…says corrupt officers doing ‘trade by barter’ with criminals
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the Nigeria Police Force following reports that two suspects linked to the murder of Justice Azuka, a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, escaped from police custody.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA described the incident as evidence of deep-rooted corruption, indiscipline, and lack of professionalism within the police force.
The group argued that decades of impunity and the failure of the Police Service Commission (PSC) to punish rogue officers decisively have emboldened corrupt practices.
“It is not surprising to millions of Nigerians that two suspected killers of the Anambra legislator were allowed to escape by the police.
“The claim that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) has ordered an investigation is a red herring—this scandal is systemic and requires massive structural reforms to purge the force of corrupt elements”, the statement read.
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HURIWA alleged that some police officers engage in “trade by barter” with criminals, enabling even those accused of capital offenses to evade justice.
The group claimed that corrupt officers sometimes replace real criminals with randomly arrested innocent people, particularly those too poor to pay bribes for their release.
“Many innocent youths are languishing in prison as awaiting-trial inmates simply because they were unfortunate and poor,” HURIWA said, accusing the police of framing innocent individuals while allowing genuine criminals to go free.
The group demanded the immediate arrest and investigation of all officers involved in the escape of the suspects.
It urged the authorities to prosecute any officer found complicit in what it called an act of sabotaging the criminal justice system and damaging the public image of the Nigeria Police Force.
Confirming the incident, Tochukwu Ikenga, spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, revealed that the suspects escaped during an operation to apprehend a receiver of stolen vehicles linked to the criminal gang.
“During the operation, the suspect (receiver) was arrested, and two vehicles suspected to have been snatched from the public were recovered. Unfortunately, the other two suspects fled the scene,” Ikenga explained.
Ikioye Orutugu, Commissioner of Police, has reportedly deployed human, operational, and intelligence resources to track down the escaped suspects and ordered immediate disciplinary action against any officer found responsible for their escape.
The development comes two weeks after a joint security team discovered the decomposing body of Justice Azuka under the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha.
The lawmaker had been abducted on December 14, 2024, by unidentified gunmen.
HURIWA insists that the escape highlights the urgent need for sweeping reforms within the Nigeria Police Force.
It urged the ongoing constitutional amendment process to prioritize overhauling the police to curb entrenched corruption and protect public safety.
“The escape of these suspects shows why it is imperative to surgically reform the federal policing institution. Without decisive action, these forces of retrogression will continue to undermine the rule of law,” the group warned.
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