The group said the police officers should be dismissed for alleged illegal detention, torture and extortion of one Mr. Godwin Ganago, and his wife, Mrs. Ifeoma.
A human rights organisation, the Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children, has called on the Nigeria Police Force to dismiss the Divisional Crime Officer at the Central Police Station, Port-Harcourt, Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ASP) Nnana Kalu and three other policemen.
The group said the police officers should be dismissed for alleged illegal detention, torture and extortion of one Mr. Godwin Ganago, and his wife, Mrs. Ifeoma.
The team made the call in a statement issued on Friday, through the Programme Officer, Child Protection and Communication, Maureen Udeagha, which was made available to SaharaReporters.
According to the group, the policemen subjected the couple to brutal torture in their cell for three days and counting for allegedly having quarrel with a colleague officer, after extorting N10,000 from them.
Titled: "police brutality, continues incarceration of Mr. & Mrs. Ganago: Response Team demand sack of ASP. Nnana Kalu, DCO1 CPS PH and 3 others."
The statement partly read, "The team's demand on the said policemen is now expedient, especially as the officers led by ASP. Nnana Kalu has not only exhibited corrupt tendencies by extorting the sum of N10,000 from Mrs. Ganago, but have also failed in their duty to remain professional and unbiased as enshrined in the Police ACT, 2020.
"Upon getting the hint that the Coordinator, Rivers State Response Team on Violence Against Women and Children, and Chairman, Rivers Indigenous NGOs & Civil Society Network (RINGOCS), Tombari Dumka-Kote and members of the team were visiting Rivers Police Commissioner to seek for a transfer of the case file to the SIIB Port Harcourt;
"The officers hurriedly tried to arraign the couple before a Port- Harcourt Magistrate Court, but failed as the court declined, saying there was no charge sheet before it stating their offence.
"We call on the Commissioner of Police, Ebuka Friday, to order DCO Kalu to immediately refund the money extorted from the family, but launch a full scale investigation to ascertain the interest of the named officer and his fellow-travellers, and as well order the release of the couple whom have now stayed unjustly in custody for 4 days in gross violation of their fundamental rights.
“Mrs. Ifeoma Ganago had earlier raised alarm on the police arresting her husband over issues with their neighbour whose son and wife had earlier attacked her, beating and stripping her naked while in their shop but the police had refused to act despite all her pleas for help just because the man is a police officer.
"According to her, despite her husband showing a subsisting court process on the matter between her family and their neighbour as pending in the Federal High Court Port-Harcourt, the officers tore the court papers, and started beating her up, before whisking her and the husband to the Central Police Station were they are been detained till now.”