A security outfit set up by the Anambra State Government, Agunechemba, has been accused of abducting innocent citizens of the state to different secret detention facilities where they brutalise, extort and illegally detain them for months without trial.
Some residents of the state and human rights activists alleged that operatives of Agunechemba, also known as Udogachi, have been operating with impunity while committing several atrocities in the guise of fighting crimes and criminalities.
They said that the security outfit has been colluding with few persons in fleecing residents of their hard earned money through unjustifiable arrests, torture and forceful extortion.
One of their recent alleged victims simply identified as Chibuike Agigwa narrated how he was wrongly arrested by the outfit, taken to a detention facility inside a bush and forced to cough out the sum of N2 million.
After allegedly compelling Agigwa, a businessman to transfer the money from his bank account, the victim claimed that the armed operatives tortured him into making a video where he was asked to admit that he stole some clothes at a boutique.
He said one of the commanders of the security outfit identified as Mmiri threatened to kill him if he divulges the alleged extortion to the public.
Recounting how he was detained inside bushy facility for four days under very harsh condition, Agigwa said, “I went to a boutique shop to make some purchase and in the process of making the purchase, there was a misunderstanding and misconception between me and the boutique owner about the number of wares I wanted to purchase. They now called the Udogachi people that I stole one of their clothes, a knickers. So, in this process, the Udogachi people asked me to make a transfer to the girl’s account. I made a transfer of N458, 000 to the girl’s account because she was claiming that I have to pay for everything that has been missing in her shop for the past three years. So, after making this transfer to the girl’s account, these Udogachi people still collected the sum of N80, 000 that I wanted to use to purchase knickers.
“They now took me to an unknown destination; we spent like an hour before getting to that place. It was inside a bush. On getting to this destination, they handcuffed and started torturing me, ordering me to transfer the whole money in my account to them. I told them that my limit for the day is N500, 000, and they opened my account and saw about N9 million there. So, they now said I must do the N9 million or they will waste me. They told me to choose between my life and my money and I told them I am choosing my money but my limit is N500, 000 daily. So, after making efforts to withdraw the N9 million and it was not going; they tried N5 million and N2 million but it was not going. They now said I should do the N500, 000. So, I did it the first day, they detained and handcuffed me there, nobody was there, it was a lonely place. After 12 in the night of the next day, they said I should do another transfer of N500, 000; the third day; they again asked me to do another N500, 000. I have all my evidence. I paid into a MoniePoint account with Mr Cool Communication as the name.”
The businessman continued, “After withdrawing about N2 million in my account, they told me that if they ever hear me report the issue to the police or anywhere, that they are going to kill me. They now collected my phone, called my wife and started asking my wife where we live. Because my wife and other family members have been looking for me for four good days, and I couldn’t be found anywhere, they even went to their headquarters and reported but they said nobody was there. They even went to the police stations and they said nobody was there. So, nobody knew where I was and I was inside that bush for four days. My wife even tracked my phone number but they switched off my phone and I couldn’t communicate with anybody.
“So, after collecting this money from me, they now made a video that has been circulating on social media that I stole clothes. They forced me to make that video on duress. It was under heavy torture.”
Aside from the illegal detention facility in the bush of Anambra State, it was alleged that Agunechemba security outfit also operates another in Akwa.
Disclosing this in a video showing the private residence housing many persons, some of whom were handcuffed in a secured balcony, a human rights activist, Harrison Gwamnishu, alleged that many innocent residents have been kidnapped by the security outfit, brutalised and illegally detained in the private residence.
The video revealed many detainees, some of whom were half naked and sitting on the bare floor looking starved.
Gwamnishu claimed that the detainees were being kept because they have not been able to pay the money demanded by operatives of Agunechemba.
Notwithstanding that the three popular native doctors, Akwa Okuko, Oke Hit and Onyeze Jesus are currently being tried at a High Court in the state, they have been also kept in a comfortable apartment within the detention facility instead of being handed over to the police or Correctional Centre.
He accused the Anambra State Police Command of shielding the outfit and defending their alleged illegality.
Vowing to petition the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the activist asked, “Why is the Anambra Police Authority covering up the evil committed by this Security team? He stressed that there is no power under the law that allows security outfit to detain those arrested without trial, let alone torture and extort them.
“Families of those affected will petition the Anambra Commissioner of Police about the activities of this security team headed by Special Adviser to Charles Chukwuma Soludo on Security.
Reacting in a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, said police had addressed the situation.
“In as much the video is not a recent development; the Police Command has since addressed the unprofessional conduct of these Security Operatives after assisting the Security agencies in apprehending suspects and keeping them in their offices without transferring them to the nearest Police facility. The Command has already implemented measures to ensure that such does not happen again,” Ikenga said.