The Police Service Commission (PSC) has made a startling admission, acknowledging rampant human rights violations perpetrated by police officers in Nigeria’s South-East region. The Commission’s Chairman, retired Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Hashimu Argungu, made the revelation on Friday during the opening ceremony of the South-East Stakeholders Summit on Peace and Security at Hotel Sunshine, Enugu.
The summit, organized by the Human Rights Institute of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in collaboration with South-East Civil Society Organisations, provided a platform for discussing the alarming trend of police misconduct in the region.
Argungu did not mince words as he decried the state of security in the South-East, describing it as the “unofficial headquarters of human rights violations” in Nigeria. He acknowledged that while the region has faced escalating insecurity—driven by violent attacks from criminal elements posing as freedom fighters—the response by some police officers and security agencies has been equally troubling.
According to him, security checkpoints that were meant to safeguard the populace have instead been turned into illegal toll gates, where road users are “forced at gunpoint to part with money.” This extortion, he noted, has become a daily ordeal for residents and travelers.
“The Commission has continued to observe the corruption and extortion that dots all the roads traversing this region by virtually all security operatives, who are supposed to safeguard the roads and ensure the free movement of people, goods, and services,” Argungu lamented.
Beyond road extortion, the PSC boss also accused some police officers of illegally interfering in civil matters—such as land disputes, debt collection, and marital issues—for financial gain. He revealed that despite repeated warnings from the Commission, these officers persist in manipulating cases for personal enrichment.
“We have discovered that the allure of filthy money has become their albatross,” he stated, adding that some officers deliberately reframe simple land disputes as ‘threats to life’ to justify their involvement and extract bribes.
In a shocking revelation, Argungu disclosed that some officers even ghostwrite petitions on behalf of complainants, then act as mediators to extort money from both parties.
The PSC chairman issued a stern warning, stating that the Commission will no longer tolerate such gross indiscipline and human rights abuses. He vowed that errant officers will face swift disciplinary action, including outright dismissal where necessary.
“The Commission hereby warns that it will no longer tolerate this serious act of indiscipline and human rights abuse, and will henceforth not hesitate to put its disciplinary processes in motion to dismiss such errant officers,” he declared.
Argungu stressed that the South-East must be freed from corrupt police gangs who continue to operate outside the boundaries of the law.
The PSC’s admission and strong stance against police misconduct mark a critical moment in the fight for justice and accountability in Nigeria. However, it remains to be seen whether these pronouncements will translate into meaningful action or if corrupt officers will continue to exploit their positions with impunity.
For residents of the South-East, the hope is that this renewed focus on police accountability will bring an end to the lawlessness that has turned security agents into oppressors rather than protectors.
PIONEER NEWS 