A Labour Party candidate for the Delta State House of Assembly during the 2023 elections, Harrison Gwamnishu, has accused the Rivers State Police Command of protecting three of its officers implicated in a kidnapping incident.
The officers—ASP Doubara Edonyabo, ASP Talent Mungo, and Inspector Odey Michael—were apprehended in January for reportedly abducting an individual and extorting N4.2 million in crypto from him.
Despite their arrest, Gwamnishu, in a post on his X account on Friday, claimed the officers are still freely moving within the police command, thereby posing a risk to both his team and the victim involved.
Gwamnishu, who highlighted his efforts alongside his team in securing the officers’ arrest since January 18, said, “we arrested these officers that were involved in kidnapping and took a ransom of $3000 USDT from their victim. Till date, these officers are walking freely at the command and putting our lives and that of the victim at risk.”
Gwamnishu, an activist who is known for going after human rights violators, while also tweeting at the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, said, “Nigerians are watching you, sir. You are a refined officer of the law and shouldn’t be shielding them.”
Although the state police command had initially confirmed the officers’ arrest and promised an investigation, there has been no further communication on the progress of their case.
SP Grace Iringe-Koko, the police spokesperson, had announced on January 22 that disciplinary actions were being pursued against the officers for their conduct, which breached both the law and the police force’s ethical standards.
Gwamnishu is calling on the Nigerian Police Force to provide the public with an update on the situation, stressing the need for transparency and accountability.
