Group Petitions Nigerian Police Chief, Chief Of Naval Staff Over Activities Of Security Operatives Working As Hitmen For Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello
A group, Advocate For Peoples’ Rights and Justices has called for the immediate disbandment of the Navy special task force headed by one Charles Akalieze in Kogi State.
The group also called for the removal of one CSP Femi Ojo as Commander of the IGP Quick Response Unit in the state.
In a petition sent to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, it accused Charles and Ojo of being responsible for the abduction and killing of innocent indigenes of Kogi State for political reasons.
The petition signed by the National Coordinator of the human rights group, Victor Giwa is titled, “Allegation of forced disappearances, abductions and killings of Hon Musa Adelabu, Monday Idowu, Ismaila Momoh (2021), Abdulazeez Salami (2017), Rufai Jimoh (2021), Kashim Ismaila (2021), Hadi Abdulmaliki (2022), all indigenes of Kogi State.”
“We are a human rights organization, saddled with the objectives of the defense, protection and education of citizens of their rights under the various statutes,” the group said in its petition to the Chief of Naval Staff.
“We are also known INEC accredited election observers, and we have been observing elections in Nigeria for over a decade. We again appreciate the good work you have been doing since assuming office, as the Chief of Naval Staff; we pray the Almighty Allah keeps and empowers you to do more.
“Sir, our attention has been brought to the alleged activities of one of your officers Charles Akalieze, head of Navy Special Force in Kogi state. Reports have it that the said officer and his team are now being used by some politicians in the state as tools and instruments to abduct, maim and kill political opponents and blackmail the said victims as either terrorists or thugs.
“Sir, the above-named persons at various times between 2017 and 2022 have been abducted, or killed by Charles and his group either directly or with the aid of some armed boys in the state. Political party men in the state are under serious threat of fear of Charles who is now seen as an attack dog of the state government. We accordingly forward to you copies of petitions written by victims’ families for your attention.
“We call for immediate disbandment of the Navy special task force headed by Charles Akalieze in Kogi State. That Charles Akalieze be recalled and investigated for abduction and killing of innocent indigenes of Kogi State for political reasons. Human rights violations, arbitrariness.”
The petition to the police boss read, “Sir, our attention has been brought to the alleged activities of one of your officers CSP FEMI OJO, Commander IGP Quick Response Unit, Kogi State in connivance with Mohammed Jamiu Asukwu, (a former chief protocol to the Kogi state governor) and now Chief of Staff to the governor of Kogi State and Charles Akalize, head of Navy Special Force in Kogi state.
“Reports have it that the said officer and his team are now being used by some politicians in the state as tool and instrument to abduct, maim and kill political opponents and blackmail the said victims as either terrorists or thugs.
“Sir, the above-named persons at various times between 2017 and 2022 have been abducted, or killed by CSP Femi Ojo and his group either directly or with the aid of some other armed persons in the state. Political party men in the state are under serious threat of fear of CSP Femi Ojo who is now seen as an attack dog against political opponents in the state. We accordingly forward to you copies of petitions written by the victims’ families themselves for your attention.
“We call for the removal of CSP Femi Ojo as Commander, IGP quick response unit. That CSP Femi Ojo be recalled and investigated for abduction and killing of innocent indigenes of Kogi State for political reasons. Human rights violations, arbitrariness and brutalities by Csp Femi Ojo.”
The petition comes a few days after SaharaReporters exclusively reported the abduction of Safiu, the stepbrother of Abdulkarim Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Kogi Governor, Yahaya Bello by gunmen.
Multiple sources said that Safiu was abducted on Monday by the governor’s hitmen led by Charles, who is the head of the Navy Special Task Force in the state.
The victim was said to have recently dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress and joined the Peoples Democratic Party.
“The boy’s name is Safiu, he is actually a stepbrother to the Chief of Staff. He was with APC and switched to PDP. Reason he was kidnapped. They fear he knows much about their atrocities. He was working as a political thug for Yahaya Bello before he left APC; he was involved in many attacks on political opponents in Kogi State. So, they felt losing him to PDP would be disastrous,” a source had said.
“So they sent Nigerian Navy officers who are loyal to the governor to kidnap him today. The hitmen working for the governor picked him up; they have taken him somewhere else. The group who kidnapped him was led by one Charles; he is the head of the hitmen working for Yahaya Bello.”
