In a damning petition to the Police Service Commission (PSC), Sterling Law Centre has demanded the immediate investigation, prosecution, and dismissal of three officers of the Nigeria Police Force’s Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) over the abduction, unlawful detention, extortion, and extrajudicial killing of Mr. Dumsira Edward Leera—a respected peace mediator engaged by the Khana Local Government Chairman in Rivers State.
The chilling case, dating back to 2019, reveals a disturbing abuse of power. Mr. Leera had been officially commissioned by the local government to negotiate peace between warring cult factions threatening the stability of Khana LGA. But instead of being supported in his lawful assignment, he was reportedly targeted by ASP David Ameh Agbo and his team, who allegedly abducted him, held him incommunicado for 17 days, and released him only after extorting N1.5 million from his family.
Leera’s ordeal did not end there. When he refused to pay an additional N3 million, he was rearrested in November 2019. During this second detention, unauthorised withdrawals were made from his bank accounts, and shockingly, ASP Agbo was seen driving his vehicle—a brazen display of impunity. Despite a court order mandating his release, the police blatantly ignored the directive.
It wasn’t until two years later—during the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC) post-#EndSARS panel sittings—that Leera’s family received the devastating revelation: he had died in police custody under mysterious circumstances during what authorities vaguely described as an “operation.”
“This is a deeply disturbing case that calls into question the accountability mechanisms within the Nigeria Police Force,” said Deji Ajare, Principal Counsel at Sterling Law Centre. “The sheer cruelty, the cover-up, and the blatant disregard for the rule of law are unacceptable. We urge the Police Service Commission to act without further delay.”
The petition explicitly names ASP David Ameh Agbo, SP Martins Samuel, and DSP Essien E. Edet as key actors in the alleged atrocity and demands their immediate prosecution and dismissal from the Force. Sterling Law Centre also calls for the return of Mr. Leera’s confiscated vehicle to his grieving family and the full implementation of the NHRC panel’s recommendations—including the N10 million compensation awarded to Leera’s widow.
As the nation continues to grapple with the lingering shadows of police brutality post-#EndSARS, this case serves as a sobering reminder that justice delayed is indeed justice denied. The ball is now in the court of the PSC to prove that no officer is above the law.
PIONEER NEWS 