Aghogho, who reported cases of child trafficking to the police which were now being turned against him.
The Take-It-Back movement has warned that it will embark on protests in Delta and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, over the Delta State Commissioner of Police’s perversion of justice and intimidation of its state coordinator, Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho, who reported cases of child trafficking to the police which were now being turned against him.
The national leadership of Take-It-Back in a release on Wednesday obtained by SaharaReporters noted that it would do everything within the law “to resist this act of abuse of office by the Commissioner of Police, Ari Mohammed Ali, who wants to turn the accuser to the accused.”
The statement was signed by Enefaa Georgewill, the National Organising Secretary, Take It Back Movement, Nigeria.
SaharaReporters had on Tuesday reported that the Delta police command, Asaba, vowed to bring to justice, Aghogho, over what it called “numerous criminal cases against him with a view to escaping justice.”
The command also said it warned the activist against what it termed “dragging the good name of the command to the mud and making unguarded utterances that are capable of bringing the name of the CP into disrepute.”
The Take-It-Back Movement, Delta state chapter, had in a letter addressed to the State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Asaba and copied to the Executive Secretary of the Commission and the Inspector-General of Police, called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the state commissioner of police, Ari Mohammed Ali, over his alleged involvement in child trafficking, banditry and terrorism acts allegedly committed against children in the state.
On Wednesday, in a further reaction, the Take-It-Back national leadership said, “The National leadership of the Take It Back Movement, Nigeria agrees with the Delta chapter of our organisation that the Delta State Commissioner of Police has violated express provisions of the Child Rights Act, over his inability to produce records and whereabouts of exploited children transferred from police stations within and around Delta State, especially within the period he resumed office as Commissioner of Police in the State.
“The national leadership of TIB insists there is a clear demarcation in the definition between ‘The Nigeria Police Force’ and the ‘Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs’ as stated in our laws. “We therefore see as diversionary the attempt by the Delta State Commissioner of Police of misleading and misdirecting himself in dealing with children in the state outside the provisions of the law.
“May we remind the CP and the general public that, there was a press statement dated 11/4/2022 credited to one DSP Bright Edafe, the Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO) of the Delta State Police Command citing some provisions of the law which do not connect the Nigeria Police Force with the Delta State Government.
“The said DSP Bright Edafe mentioned in the said press statement that the police transferred the children to the state government. We dare say he turned a blind eye to the clear provision of the Act empowering the Nigeria Police Force to hand over children to the Delta State Government vide the express provision of Section 44 of the Child’s Rights Act 2003 which provides as follows:
"Where the specialised children police in a state have reasonable cause to believe that a child is otherwise likely to suffer significant harm, a specialised police officer may take the child into police protection by-(a) removing the child to an Emergency Protection Centre or any other approved suitable accommodation and keeping the child there or(b) taking such steps as are reasonable to prevent the child from being removed from any hospital, or other place, in which the child is then being accommodated.(2) As soon as is reasonable practicable after taking a child into Police protection, the Police Officer concerned shall-(a) inform the State Government within whose area the child was taken of the steps that have been, and are to be taken with respect to the child under this section and the reasons for taking those steps(b) give details of the case to the appropriate authority within whose area the child is ordinarily resident, that is, the appropriate authority of the place in which the child is being accommodated.(4) A Police officer designated under subsection (3) (c) of this section shall, on completing an enquiry under that subsection, release the child from Police protection unless he considers that there is still reasonable cause for believing that the child is likely to suffer significant harm if released.(5) No child may be kept in Police protection for more than seventy-two hours.(6) While a child is being kept in Police protection, two designated officer may apply on behalf of the appropriate authority for an emergency protection order to be made under section 42 of this Act with respect to the child.(7) An application may be made under subsection (6) of this section whether or not the appropriate authority knows of it or agrees to its being made.
“The essence of the above law or the intendment of the draftman, is to make sure there is adequate records of these children and for it to be practically impossible for any third party to steal these children without trace. The very action or failure of the Delta CP is the main issue the law is intended to cure, as there were complaints by citizens that children have been missing through official lacunas like this.
“The police boycotted the aforesaid provisions of the law and created the same lacuna that had made the police to fail to show records of these children under the watch of the Commissioner of Police. This is why the Delta branch of our organisation reasonably suspects the CP may have a hand in the trafficking of children in their custody which has led to the disappeance of thousands of children and even when the Inspector-General of Police directed the CP via a letter dated 14/10/2021, referenced CB: 7000/IGP.SEC/ABJ/VOL.557/184, to deal with the content of the aforesaid Petition titled “Re: in the case of the alleged abduction and trafficking of over ten thousand children through the Delta State Police Command” the said CP refused to carry out the said order to date.
“On the issue of numerous criminal cases as alleged by DSP Bright Edafe against Delta State Coordinator of Take It Back Movement, Comrade Ighorhiohwunu Aghogho for exposing this inhuman conduct of the police, we are challenging the Delta State Commissioner of Police to outline these cases which have not been brought to the knowledge of Comrade Aghogho, as we have done the needful by making a formal report of alleged frame up to the National Human Commission Asaba to investigate the unprofessional conduct of the CP.
“Finally, the national leadership of the Take It Back Movement will not fold its hand and watch the Commissioner of Police, Delta State to intimidate, harass and frame up the Delta State branch Chairman of our organisation. We will do everything within the law, including protest in Abuja and Delta State to resist this act of abuse of office by the Commissioner of Police who wants to turn the accuser to the accused.”