In a petition sent to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, the President was asked to sack the Chief of Naval Staff and also asked to arrest Commander Akalieze of NNS Lugard for his alleged dastardly acts.
Some lawyers from Demaki & Demaki have called for the immediate disbandment of the Navy special task force headed by one Charles Akalieze in Kogi State.
In a petition sent to President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, the President was asked to sack the Chief of Naval Staff and also asked to arrest Commander Akalieze of NNS Lugard for his alleged dastardly acts.
The petition signed by Shedrack M. Demaki Esq, accused the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, of using Akalieze to intimidate, kill, abduct and kidnap Kogi indigenes opposed to his political ambitions.
The petition is titled, ‘Petition on the genocide and extra judicial killings/Abduction/Kidnappings of Kogi indigenes to wit, Hon. Musa Adelabu; Mr. Rufai Jimoh; Mr. Hadi Abdulmaliki; Mr. Kashim Ismaila; Ismaila Momoh; Mr. Monday Idowu; Mr. Abdulazeez Salami by Uchendu Nicholas A.K.A (Charles Akalieze) Commander of the Navy Special Forces In Kogi State and The Chief Of Naval Staff’.
The lawyers, however, urged President Buhari to direct that Commander Akalieze should be arrested and brought to justice for all his alleged crimes.
The lawyers asserted that the Nigerian Navy under the current Chief of Naval Staff had derailed from its constitutional roles and delved into the murky waters of politics in Kogi State.
It also accused the Chief of Naval Staff of shielding Commander Akalieze from the long arms of the law.
The petition read, “We wish to state that the actions of Commander Akalieze and Chief of Naval Staff are a clear breach of the operational code of conduct of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria'.
“The Nigerian Navy was created by the force of law to protect the territorial waters of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from external aggressions and to protect the country's assets situate in waters. It is so disheartening that the Nigerian Navy under the current Chief of Naval Staff has derailed from their constitutional roles and delved into the murky waters of politics in Kogi State.
“Nigeria is not a banana republic where laws are nonexistent or not obeyed. Nigeria has laws and no person or group of persons is above the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Therefore, Commander Akalieze and the Chief of Naval Staff are not above the laws of the land.
"The action of Commander Akalieze and the Chief of Naval Staff dents the image of the disciplined officers of Nigerian Navy who are reputed for their bravery and uprightness; and, if left unabated will lead to a breakdown of law and order; and destruction of lives and property in Kogi State.
“These series of extrajudicial killings, intimidation, abductions and kidnappings of Kogi indigenes have been occurring since 2019 and have not abated rather Akalieze is further emboldened to continue carrying out his dastardly acts.
"It is our brief also that the families of the victims of Akalieze's brutality have written several petitions to the Department of State Security (Department of State Services), the Inspector-General of Police and the Chief of Naval Staff; however, none were investigated by the respective authorities.
“Commander Akalieze was reposted from NNS Kano, Lagos state to NNS Lugard in Kogi state on the 9th of January 2023 by the Chief of Naval Staff and no form of disciplinary action was taken against him neither were our clients reached out to in furtherance of any investigation to their petition before the Naval Command.
"Also, the return of Commander Akalieze to Kogi was influenced by the Governor to have him continue his reign of terror on the people of Kogi Central during this critical yet vulnerable political season in a bid to frighten and scare the people from willfully exercising their civic responsibilities as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.
“It is very shameful that the Chief of Naval Staff is allowing the men and officers of the Nigerian Navy to be the personal attack dogs/killer squad used by the Government of Kogi State to eliminate its perceived political enemies
“It is our brief that since the return of Commander Akalieze back to Kogi State, he has boasted of Gov. Yahaya Bello's support and financial influence over the Naval Chief making him untouchable and unanswerable to any petition. In view of reinstating fear in the indigenes and political opponents of the Kogi State governor/ Commander Akalieze with his team recently abducted one Ahmed whose whereabouts are still unknown.
“It is a brief of fact that the said Commander Akalieze was transferred out of Kogi in the last quarter of 2022 by the Naval Authorities upon the uproar and protest against his illegal activities. The said transfer of Commander Akalieze out of Kogi State to NNS Kano in Lagos state brought relative peace to the state as indigenes of Kogi State were able to go about their political activities without the fear of being killed.”
The petition alleged that one Hon. Musa Adelabu, a former PDP Chairman of Okene Local Government Area in Kogi, was “abducted by Akalieze and his team on the 10th day of August, 2019 from his residence and till this very moment hasn't been found by his family nor close associates”.
It said, "Mr. Rufai Jimoh (A.K.A Lover) was abducted by the same Akalieze and his team on the 27th day of January, 2021 along Old Ageva Secretariat on the Lagos Highway and till this very moment, Mr Rufai Jimoh's whereabouts are unknown, Mr. Hadi Abdumaliki was also abducted on the 3rd day of January, 2022 at Ihima, Okehi Local Government Area by the said Commander Akalieze and that Mr. Kashim Ismaila (aka Kamuche) on the 21st of December, 2020 was abducted by Commander Akalieze and his team and till this very moment has not been seen or heard from.
''That Ismaila Momoh was abducted/kidnapped from his house by the team led by same Akalieze. That Mr. Monday Idowu was also abducted/kidnapped on the 10th day of January, 2022 at Ihima by the Akalieze team in company of the Chairman of Okehi Local Government Area, Abdulraheem Ohiare. That Abdulazeez Salami was also kidnapped/abducted on the 10th day of July, 2019 by Akalieze and his team in company of one Abdulraheem Ohiare; the Chairman of Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State.”
The lawyers denounced the roles allegedly played by the Chief of Staff to Governor Bello in the “extrajudicial killings, abduction and kidnapping”.
“It is worthy of note that at every time these extrajudicial killings, abductions and kidnappings are being carried out by the said Commander Akalieze and his team, the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Mohammed Jamiu Asuku is always with Akalieze serving as a pointer in identifying the governor's political opponents to be eliminated,” the petition said.
Similarly in October 2022, a group, Advocate For Peoples’ Rights and Justices called for the immediate disbandment of the Navy special task force headed by Akalieze in Kogi.
The group also called for the removal of one CSP Femi Ojo as Commander of the IGP Quick Response Unit in the state.
In a petition sent to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo and the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, it accused Charles and Ojo of being responsible for the abduction and killing of innocent indigenes of Kogi State for political reasons.
The petition signed by the National Coordinator of the human rights group, Victor Giwa is titled, “Allegation of forced disappearances, abductions and killings of Hon Musa Adelabu, Monday Idowu, Ismaila Momoh (2021), Abdulazeez Salami (2017), Rufai Jimoh (2021), Kashim Ismaila (2021), Hadi Abdulmaliki (2022), all indigenes of Kogi State.”
It read, “We are a human rights organization, saddled with the objectives of the defense, protection and education of citizens of their rights under the various statutes,” the group said in its petition to the Chief of Naval Staff.
“We are also known INEC accredited election observers, and we have been observing elections in Nigeria for over a decade. We again appreciate the good work you have been doing since assuming office, as the Chief of Naval Staff; we pray the Almighty Allah keeps and empowers you to do more.
“Sir, our attention has been brought to the alleged activities of one of your officers Charles Akalieze, head of Navy Special Force in Kogi state. Reports have it that the said officer and his team are now being used by some politicians in the state as tools and instruments to abduct, maim and kill political opponents and blackmail the said victims as either terrorists or thugs.
“Sir, the above-named persons at various times between 2017 and 2022 have been abducted, or killed by Charles and his group either directly or with the aid of some armed boys in the state. Political party men in the state are under serious threat of fear of Charles who is now seen as an attack dog of the state government. We accordingly forward to you copies of petitions written by victims’ families for your attention.
“We call for immediate disbandment of the Navy special task force headed by Charles Akalieze in Kogi State. That Charles Akalieze be recalled and investigated for abduction and killing of innocent indigenes of Kogi State for political reasons. Human rights violations, arbitrariness.”
The petition to the police boss read in part, “Sir, our attention has been brought to the alleged activities of one of your officers CSP FEMI OJO, Commander IGP Quick Response Unit, Kogi State in connivance with Mohammed Jamiu Asukwu, (a former chief protocol to the Kogi state governor) and now Chief of Staff to the governor of Kogi State and Charles Akalieze, head of Navy Special Force in Kogi state.
“Reports have it that the said officer and his team are now being used by some politicians in the state as tool and instrument to abduct, maim and kill political opponents and blackmail the said victims as either terrorists or thugs.”
