EFCC And Their Extra-Judicial Killings In Nigeria (Part One)

By Citizen Ikenna Samuelson

Few weeks ago, I wrote and published an article entitled “DSS AND THEIR EXTRA-JUDICIAL KILLINGS IN NIGERIA”. In the said article, I expressed my displeasure over the way and manner our security agencies, precisely the Department of State Security (DSS) treat Nigerians by abusing, intimidating, humiliating and rough handling them contrary to the provisions of our constitution.

I used the extra-judicial killing of one Mr. Damilare Eyitayo by Men of the Department of State Security in Lagos State to draw home my points. I concluded the article by proffering solutions on how to assist Government and the Society at large, to halt this steady assault on the sensitivity of Nigerians by the obviously untrained, shameless and notorious DSS operatives (see the attached article).

It appears our security agencies are not the only ones involved in the extra-judicial killings of Nigerians. Anti-corruption agencies are also shamelessly involved in this sordid and criminal act of killing citizens of this country, just to cover up their shady deals, and please their sponsors.

The recent extra-judicial brutal killing of one Mr. Desmond Nunugwo by the uncivilized, un-cultured, ill-mannered, shameless and untrained fools parading as men of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has drawn me out to question the motive of the murder, and to express my total displeasure over the obvious professional misconducts and misdeeds of the miscreants in anti-corruption garments. As a well known anti-corruption and socio-political crusader in this country, I support the fight against crime and corruption. I have been in the boxing ring giving criminals hard punches by exposing them.

At this point, let me state that in as much as I support the fight against crime and corruption, I do not support the use of torture on citizens in order to extract confessional statements from them. The sanctity of human life must be respected. But most unfortunately, our so called security and anti-corruption operatives do not accord such respect to Nigerians even when a suspect is presumed innocent, until proven otherwise.

They shamelessly slaughter citizens of this country at any slightest excuse without reference to section 33(1) of the 1999 constitution which provides that “Every person has a right to life and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria”.

Moving a step further, section 35(I) of the same constitution provides that “Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly, no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman and degrading treatment”. Having laid the foundation of this piece, let me therefore treat the story in detail.

According to a Press Release dated 10th June 2016 by the Spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the late Mr. Desmond Nunugwo fraudulently obtained the sum of N91 million naira from an acquaintance after he tricked her into believing that he had high net worth business Associates in Dubai, United Arab Emirate who were at the verge of buying Nicon Insurance, and thereafter convinced the said woman acquaintance of their disposition to help her stock-fish business”.

EFCC spokesman (Uwujaren) continued, “Consequently, she wired N91 million into Desmond Nunugwo’s nominated account (Mainagge General Merchants) in Diamond Bank. After the transfer of the funds, Desmond Nunugwo became evasive forcing the woman complainant to report the transaction to the EFCC. Nunugwo was arrested in Utako, Abuja at about 5:33pm on Thursday June 9, 2016. His Statement was taken, where he admitted receiving the money from the complainant, with the additional information that he transferred N30 million of the said money to Norway. But he could not explain the whereabout of the balance of N61million.

The suspect (Desmond) was detained at about 7:30pm, in the absence of anybody to take him on bail. Six hours later, he suddenly complained of discomfort and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Uwujaren added that the incident had been reported at the Wuse Police Station in Abuja where investigation has commenced. From the above narrative of the shameless, bare-faced liar parading himself as the EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, it is convincingly obvious that the EFCC has fed the public with cooked up story.

In simple English, the EFCC operatives have grossly abused the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by torturing a supposed suspect until he died in their custody. In a bid to cover up their criminal conduct, they shamelessly fed the public with that trash of a Press Release. As a concerned Nigerian, I made enquires to confirm what actually transpired, and my findings convinced me that Mr. Desmond Nunngwo was intentionally tortured to death by the shameless operatives at EFCC, reportedly on the instruction of the acting Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu and a serving Federal Minister.

(1) In the First place, the EFCC failed to disclose the identity of the woman who was allegedly defrauded by the said Desmond Nunugwo of the sum of N91 million naira.

(2) Secondly, EFCC failed to disclose that the supposed suspect was arrested at the Office of his lawyer friend in Utako – Abuja and his Lawyer was reportedly warned not to follow them.

(3) Thirdly, EFCC failed to disclose that the so called woman complainant is allegedly a girlfriend to a serving Federal Minister.

(4) Fourthly, the EFCC shamelessly failed to disclose that the Federal Minister provided them with Logistics, including providing the vehicle with which they used to arrest (pick-up) Mr. Desmond Nunugwo.

(5) Fifthly, EFCC as stupid as they are, failed or refused to disclose that the “so called suspect”, Mr. Desmond Nnunugwo whom they brutally murdered was the Chief Protocol Officer to the Current Minister of State for Defense. Again, it is important to note that Mr. Desmond Nunugwo was arrested hale and hearty, and in the presence of his lawyer friend whose name I have confirmed to be Barrister Chinedum.

According to the rogue spokesman of EFCC (Wilson Uwujaren) “The suspect was detained at about 7.30pm, in the absence of anybody to take him on bail’’. Yet it was the same EFCC that reportedly threatened the suspect’s lawyer not to follow them to their office.

Ordinarily, the suspect’s lawyer, Barrister Chinedum would have bailed him since they were personal friends. Barrister Chinedum has disclosed that the late Desmond Nunugwo visited him at his office at Utako Abuja at about 5.30pm on that fateful Thursday, the 9th of June 2016. And that when late Desmond arrived, they bought roasted corns and were eating when suddenly the deceased phone rang. The late Desmond Nunugwo picked the call and confirmed that it was from the said woman who came with EFCC operatives. He was thereafter arrested, and Barrister Chinedum who made moves to follow them was warned to stay back.

The question now is; how come Desmond Nunugwo suddenly “Complained” of Discomfort”. If truth must be told, EFCC operatives TORTURED the late Desmond Nunugwo which resulted to his death. And he died in there custody. To cover up their fraudulent murder, the shameless EFCC according to their spokesman (Uwujaren) reported the incident at Wuse Police Station Abuja “where investigation has commenced’’.

Again, if truth must be told, the EFCC brought in the police to assist them cover up their crime of murder. There is no doubt about this. Now, to the main gist: Mr. Wilson Uwujaren in his Press release testament, tried to cajole the public into believing that the late Desmond Nunugwo admitted receiving the sum of N91 million from the woman complainant, whose name they shamelessly refused to disclose. And that N30 million of the funds were allegedly transferred to Norway, while the remaining balanced of N61 million was not accounted for.

Knowing EFCC and its operatives, and what they represent in this country; bearing in mind the notorious activities of the immediate past Chairman of the agency (Mr. Ibrahim Lamorde) who reportedly diverted billions of naira of recovered funds, and who collected huge bribe from the disgraced and very corrupt Ex-speaker of Imo State House of Assembly (Benjamin Uwajumogu) and swept petitions against him under the carpet, one is tempted to assume and infact believe that the so called unaccounted N61 million have been diverted by the EFCC.

So in order to ensure that the diversion was not detected, Mr. Desmond Nunugwo was murdered in custody. But Nigerians are no fools. We are not fooled by the grandstanding of the anti-corruption agency that “six hours later, Desmond Nunugwo suddenly complained of discomfort and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead”.

This is nonsensical nonsense. The woman in question is the girlfriend to a serving Federal Minister. And this is the truth. The Minister mobilized EFCC and even provided the vehicle that was used in arresting the late Desmond Nunugwo, took him to their office and murdered him.

As I stated earlier, the EFCC intentionally refused to disclose that the man (Desmond) they murdered was the Chief Protocol Officer of the Current Minister of State for Defense. The Late Desmond Nunugwo hailed from Umukabia in Ehime Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State. It is therefore clear that the acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu (a Fulani Man) superintended the killing of another Igbo man.

I am therefore of the opinion that Late Desmond Nunugwo was murdered by the EFCC because he was an Igbo man. Conversely, I am calling on Nigerians (especially the people of South East) to take another look at that Press Release by EFCC.

Could late Desmond Nunugwo have absconded with the said N91 million when he was a serving Chief Protocol Officer to the current Minister of State for Defense? I am therefore challenging the EFCC to tell Nigerians and indeed the whole world why Desmond Nunugwo was killed in their custody. In the part two of this piece, I will name (expose) the woman complainant.

I will also name the serving Minister whom the woman complainant is girl friend to. I will equally give further insight as to why late Desmond Nunugwo was brutally murdered by the EFCC. The EFCC has perfectly turned itself into a killer squad that has no respect for human life and dignity. No wonder, after killing Mr. Desmond Nunugwo, EFCC in their idiocy and foolishness fed Nigerians with a cock and bull story that he “suddenly complained of a discomfort and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead”.

This is Nonsensical Nonsense. At this point, I am calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to step into this matter and ensure that justice is done which is the dismissal, arrest and prosecution of the Acting Chairman of EFCC. O yes the acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu should be arrested and charged for the murder of Citizen Desmond Nunugwo. Also, for feeding Nigerians with falsehood and his complicity in the murder of Citizen Desmond Nunugwo, the EFCC Spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren should be arrested and charged for the murder. This is the only way to ensure that justice is done.

May the soul of Late Citizen Desmond Nunugwo rest in peace, in Jesus Mighty name I pray. Amen. I rest my pen. Signed Citizen (Dr.) Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha FCAI, MKDA Former Senior Special Assistant on Media Immediate Past Senior Special Assistant on Special Duties Imo State House of Assembly.

Owerri-Imo State, Nigeria 24th June, 2016. 07032934037 Please follow me on facebook@citizenikennasamuelsoniwuoha.

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