Aba residents under siege: FENRAD condemns police extortion, harassment

Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy and Development (FENRAD), a rule of law and human rights advocacy group, has strongly condemned the reported acts of police brutality, harassment, and extortion of innocent citizens by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Aba, Abia State, as published by News Express Nigeria.

The growing number of allegations of unchecked abuse of power by men of the Nigeria Police Force, particularly in commercial hubs like Aba, is both alarming and unacceptable.

FENRAD views this as a gross violation of the rights of residents and a betrayal of the primary duty of the police—to protect lives and property.

According to the Executive Director of the group, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, they are deeply disturbed by eyewitness accounts of torture, indiscriminate arrests, illegal detention, and extortion by the said operatives.

“The situation not only undermines public trust in the security apparatus but also poses a serious threat to civil liberties, the rule of law, and democratic values in Abia State. FENRAD has consistently advocated for security sector reforms and insists that such acts of brutality cannot be swept under the carpet.

“We hereby call on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to immediately order a full-scale, transparent investigation into this incident and ensure that those found culpable are arrested and prosecuted without delay. Anything short of this will be seen as a tacit endorsement of lawlessness within the ranks of the police. The rights of citizens must be respected at all times, and law enforcement agencies must be held accountable when they operate outside the ambit of the law”, he lamented.

FENRAD urged the Police Service Commission (PSC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and relevant oversight bodies to take urgent action and ensure justice is served. We also demand that the victims of this inhumane treatment be identified and compensated accordingly and that a standing human rights monitoring mechanism be established to oversee police operations in Aba and other urban centres.

FENRAD reiterated its commitment to justice, accountability, and the defense of human rights.

“We will continue to raise our voice against impunity and call for institutional reforms that place human dignity at the centre of policing,” he stressed.