A human rights group, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), yesterday, tasked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali to order investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding claims by Imo State Police Command that Thaddeus Ikechukwu Ojokoh, was among those who killed police officers on a date that the man was still in the custody of the police.

The 53-year-old tailor and father of five, was arrested by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Tiger Base, Owerri, Imo State, on April 15, 2023, and had been detained incommunicado thereafter.

On April 30, Imo State Police Command issued a statement that Ojokoh was among the men that murdered police officers on duty. He was eventually paraded by the Command along with others who were later arrested following the killing of police officers on April 21, on the grounds that he was among the assailants who attacked and killed the police officers in Ngor-Okpala, Imo State on April 21, 2023.

RULAAC said Ojokoh’s family of Umugwa Umuokrika, Ahiazu Mbaise Local Council , Imo State informed them that Thaddeus was still in police custody at the date of the attack and killing of the police officers.

Executive Director, RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said: “His family members have not had access to him since the day he was arrested. They seriously fear about his life because most people arrested by the police in Imo State and labeled IPOB member have usually been executed extrajudicially or disappeared. There have been instances of people arrested on the claim that they were IPOB members and killed or disappeared and evidence later emerged to disprove the claim.

“The attack and killing of four police officers at Ngor-Okpala junction on April 21, 2023 is unjustifiable and all those responsible should not be spared the maximum penalty permitted by law, however, parading a man for a crime committed while in police custody raises serious concerns and questions, and calls for careful investigation to ensure that an innocent person is not accused wrongly or made to pay the price for a crime he did not commit.

“We hereby humbly request the IGP to order a discrete investigation to unravel this mystery.

“It has also become necessary to call the IGP’s attention to the attitude of many police officers in the Southeast presuming everyone accused of being an IPOB member of having automatically lost their Constitutionally guaranteed rights to due process, including the presumption of innocence until otherwise proven in a fair trial.

“Ojokoh should be released or charged to court if he has any case to answer. His family and legal representatives should also be allowed access to him.”