The organisation called on the police authority to investigate and ensure that the hoodlums who abducted and tortured the journalist were brought to justice.
Mr Dennis Agbo, a journalist with the Vanguard Newspaper has accused Enugu State Police Command of refusing to investigate his abduction and attempted murder because he could not provide N700,000 ‘mobilisation money’.
Agbo disclosed this in a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, dated May 10, 2024, and titled, "Refusal of the police to commence criminal investigation because the victim cannot pay N700 thousand, mobilisation money. RE: abduction and attempted murder of Mr Dennis Agbo, (Vanguard Newspaper Enugu Correspondent)."
In the petition written by the human rights organisation Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN) and signed by its President, Olu Omotayo Esq. on his behalf, the petitioner described the police action as reckless and unprofessional.
The organisation called on the police authority to investigate and ensure that the hoodlums who abducted and tortured the journalist were brought to justice, regretting that despite the state's huge funding of police, Agbo could not get justice as he did not have the money demanded.
The petition read in part: "We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mr. Dennis Agbo, the correspondent of Vanguard Newspapers in Enugu state.
"Mr. Agbo, informed us that on Sunday, April 21 2024, he and four members of his community, Umuaram Ikem in Isi-Uzo LGA of Enugu State were assaulted in his farm by over 200 youths of Neke Community, a neighbouring town to Ikem. They were abducted and taken as captives to Neke Community market square where they further tortured and dehumanized them before they were released.
"Mr. Agbo further stated after his release he reported the matter to the police at Isi-Uzo Divisional Police Station Ikem, where the police took his statement and pictures of his brutalised body and gave him a Police Medical Form to go to hospital for medical attention and treat his injuries.
"On Tuesday, April 23rd 2024, Agbo's lawyer made a petition to the office of the Commissioner of Police Enugu State, and after two weeks the matter was assigned to the CONPTROL Monitoring Unit situated at New Market Area.
"Mr. Agbo said when he went to the CONPTROL Monitoring Unit, on the 8th May 2024, he met a policeman named Linus who is to handle his case. The said Linus asked Agbo to pay N700,000 for mobilisation to commence investigation into his case.
“When Agbo told him that he did not have such money, he said he should better return to Isi-Uzo Divisional Police Station or the Area Command, whereupon Agbo left with his lawyer."
The group further stated: "It is pertinent that this journalist could not get justice as he did not have the money demanded by the police to perform their duty as stipulated under the law.
"It is surprising that despite the enormous encouragement and support given to the police by the present administration, police officers still openly demand money from poor masses before they would perform the public duty imposed on them by law.
"We condemn in an unequivocal term this reckless and unprofessional act and demand that the police authority investigate and ensure that the hoodlums who abducted and tortured this journalist and four others are made to face the full wrath of the law."