𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍,𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄,𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝗠𝗥. 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗥𝗦 𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗡𝗘𝗭𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗔 ,𝑴𝒓 𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑫 𝑵𝑾𝑨𝑱𝑬𝑰 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒: 𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐀𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐚, 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞.
𝗦𝗶𝗿,
𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐔𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐌 𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐀𝐖𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍,𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄,𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓 𝗠𝗥. 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗥𝗦 𝗠𝗜𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗡𝗘𝗭𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗔 ,𝑴𝒓 𝑹𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑹𝑫 𝑵𝑾𝑨𝑱𝑬𝑰 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐒: 𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐉𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐄.
We write with heavy hearts and in utter dismay over the deeply traumatizing incident that occurred in the early hours of Monday, April 15th, 2025, around 2:30am, involving men suspected to be soldiers and other unidentified persons in uniform and in mufti. These men forcefully invaded the home of 𝐌𝐑 . 𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐍𝐖𝐀𝐉𝐄𝐈, the community electricity chairman, located in Asaba, Delta State, under the pretense of searching for one “𝐌𝐫.𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞.”
Sir, it is with deep pain that we narrate the gross violation of 𝐌𝐫.𝐍𝐰𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐢’𝐬 fundamental human rights, a man who is a respected community leader, and who is not 𝐌𝐫.𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞, nor in any way associated with any known criminal activity. Yet, his gate was violently banged and destroyed by these uniform men, who identified themselves as army personnel. When he asked for their identity, they threatened to pull down his gate if he did not open it. Fearing for his life and with no help coming from several security stakeholders he called, he reluctantly opened the gate.
𝐓𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐜𝐤,𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐦-𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟-𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐝,𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬.𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞𝐩𝐭,𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐥𝐲.
𝐌𝐫. 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 was then forcefully taken and coerced to lead them to the house of someone he did not know, under 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬. He eventually directed them to the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Nezianya, located at 𝗡𝗼. 11 𝗢𝗸𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁,𝗨𝗟𝗢 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗮/𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗮 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘄𝗮𝘆. There, the horror continued.
Despite being informed by 𝐌𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 that these were not the suspects’ house, the uniform men invaded the compound, beat up the gate man, 𝐌𝐫. 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐀𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐝, a northern indigene, leaving him with visible injuries and internal bleeding. They dragged Mr. Nezianya’s asthmatic wife by her hair, slapped and beat her, even as she begged for her Ventolin inhaler while gasping for breath. Her 7-month-old baby cried while her 7-year-old daughter stood in terror.
The duplex was forcefully entered through the kitchen after failing to destroy the bulletproof door. Windows, doors, and private properties of both the front and back buildings were maliciously destroyed, causing trauma and economic loss to the Nezianya family. These acts were not only criminal and inhumane, but also dishonourable to the very uniform these men wore.
Sir, we must not forget that on the 1st of November, 2024, a Nollywood cameraman returning from work was shot in the stomach by personnel of “Operation Delta Hawk”, and the case, to date, remains unresolved. How long shall innocent citizens suffer in the hands of the very institutions set up to protect them?
We strongly believe that the perpetrators of this recent barbarity claimed to be from the 63 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝗔𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗶 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗮. Their actions contravene several sections of the Nigerian Criminal Code Act, including but not limited to:
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 351 – Assault and Battery
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 355 – Assault Occasioning Harm
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 365 – Unlawful Wounding
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 517 – Criminal Conspiracy
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 411 – Criminal Trespass and Housebreaking
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 451 – Malicious Damage
𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞,𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐭, 𝐂𝐀𝐏 𝐀20,𝐋𝐅𝐍 2004.
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 91 – Offences against civil authorities
• 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 104 – Cruelty and Conduct to the Prejudice of Service Discipline
𝐒𝐢𝐫,𝐧𝐨 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐝𝐞𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫. If these actions go unchecked, we fear it may provoke widespread public outrage and diminish trust in law enforcement and military institutions.
𝐖𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐃:
1. 𝐀 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥, 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐧𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝗠𝗿.𝗥𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗡𝘄𝗮𝗷𝗲𝗶 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗿.𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗹 𝗡𝗲𝘇𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗮’𝘀 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.
2. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭.
3. 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐬.
4. 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲-𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬.
*”Please note:* The alleged military operation was reportedly led by a Major from the 63 Brigade during what appeared to be a covert mission. It was the Delta State Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) who ultimately intervened and saved Mr. Richard Nwajei on that fateful day. Prior to the incident, Mr. Nwajei had tried to reach out to various security stakeholders, but unfortunately, none of them responded at the time, likely due to the odd hour. However, the Deputy Commissioner later returned the call, which was answered by Mr. Nwajei’s mother. After she explained the situation, the Deputy Commissioner swiftly radioed the alleged tactical team, ordering them to release Mr. Richard, recognizing him as the Chairman of the Landlords’ Association in that area and a known collaborator with security agencies.”
𝐂𝐂:
• Chief of Army Staff, Nigerian Army Headquarters, Abuja.
• Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
• Director, Department of State Security, Abuja.
• Chief of Defence Staff, Defence Headquarters, Abuja.
• National Human Rights Commission, Abuja.
• Attorney General of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Abuja.
• Executive Governor of Delta State.
• Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly.
• Nigerian Bar Association, Asaba Branch.
• Civil Society Organizations and Media Houses.
𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞.
Yours in Service,
𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿𝗮𝗱 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝗷𝗲𝗶 (𝗪𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝘅) 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗮, 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲.