Crime report: Reactions As Nigeria's Inspector-General Egbetokun Appoints Notorious Rights Abuser, DCP Akin Fakorede To Head IGP Monitoring Unit kayode egbetokun
Some inquiries into his activities including panels that investigated police brutality in Nigeria also indicted Fakorede, and even recommended his sacking or demotion.
The recent appointment of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr Akin Fakorede by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to head the IGP Monitoring Unit has raised concerns due to Fakorede's past controversies.
SaharaReporters learnt that as a former commander of the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Fakorede faced allegations of brutality, extrajudicial killings, and election rigging between 2016 and 2019.
The allegations against Fakorede were also condemned by reputable organisations, including the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).
Some inquiries into his activities including panels that investigated police brutality in Nigeria also indicted Fakorede, and even recommended his sacking or demotion.
"Instead, he was rewarded by the All Progressives Congress (APC), having worked for the party as an instrument of elections' rigging with promotion.
"However, those he unlawfully killed their loved ones still cry for justice, with some many petitions against him still pending at the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the unit he has now been appointed to supervise," a source revealed.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also accused Fakorede and his men of harassing and killing their party agents and supporters during the 2017 Rivers State governorship and House of Assembly elections.
Fakorede's history of alleged misconduct extends beyond his tenure in Rivers State.
In Anambra State, he faced accusations of systematic land grabbing and enabling violent property disputes.
A petition to the Police Service Commission (PSC) detailed incidents of alleged misconduct, including shielding land grabbers and violently demolishing buildings.
"Some have even called for his prosecution in the past. The appointment of Fakorede without accountability on his past action to head the IGP Monitoring Unit casts doubt on the unit's ability to impartially investigate complaints, especially those related to police brutality and misconduct," SaharaReporters was told.
Human rights activists argue that the move by the IGP Egbetokun undermines the efforts of international partners and could further erode public trust in the police.
Chronology of his abuse
During the 2017 Rivers State governorship and House of Assembly elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused then SARS Commander, Fakorede and his men of killing and harassing, torturing and killing their party agents and supporters.
Former Governor Nyesom Wike had also in several fora publicly denounced the SARS commander, alleging his involvement in electoral fraud and other criminal activities.
For instance, Wike on September 13, 2017, in a statewide broadcast accused the former State SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede of perpetrating crime in Rivers State.
In a series of tweet on X, former Twitter, Wike wrote:
“The intelligence at the disposal of the Rivers State Government indicate that indicted SARS Commander, Akin Fakorede and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Stephen Hasso feature prominently in the rigging plot of the @APCNigeria Federal Government in the state”.
The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also levelled severe accusations against Akin Fakorede, alleging a pattern of systematic human rights violations and electoral interference.
Chief Felix Obuah, the PDP State Chairman, on March 8, 2019, severely criticised Fakorede, specifically accusing him of involvement in the brutal murder of Dr. Ferry Gberegbe, a senior lecturer at Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic. Dr. Gberegbe was shot and killed at a collation center in Bori during the Rivers State governorship and state assembly elections on March 9, 2019.
"We wish to reiterate that Mr. Akin Fakorede has over the years become a recurrent obstacle to the peaceful conduct of general election in Rivers State; and he does so with provocative bravado and criminality," the PDP chairman had declared.
The PDP chairman referenced an INEC report that indicts Akin Fakorede for perpetrating election violence and rigging in the Rivers State Legislative rerun elections on December 10, 2016.
The INEC Report, authored by INEC Commissioner Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, had stated:
"Of singular note was a certain policeman named Akin Fakorede, who ostensibly is a commander of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Rivers State. Mr. Fakorede first tried to lure INEC staff to travel with him from Port Harcourt to Emohua LGA under the pretext of enabling them to collate results. But for the intervention of national commissioners, we suspect that he would have put our staff in harm's way.
"When he failed in his initial bid, he stalked the INEC official to the collation centre in Port Harcourt and physically assaulted Dr. C Odekpe and Mrs Mary Tunkayo. In fact, Dr. Odekpe ended up with a gash on his head and both spent days at the Air Force hospital in Port Harcourt."
Amplifying these accusations, the Rivers State government launched its own comprehensive critique. On October 16, 2017, the then state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Emma Okah, held a press conference in Port Harcourt detailing a litany of alleged offenses.
"Rivers State Government has accused him( Akin Fakorede) and his men of organized election rigging, extra judicial killings, armed robbery, kidnapping, extortion, planting of incriminating evidence on innocent people or their property, illegal arrest and detention, inhuman and degrading treatment of innocent people and rape," Okah had stated.
"We still stand on those allegations and with all sense of responsibility; many of them have increased in intensity."
Akin Fakorede's criminal exploit did not end in Rivers State but extended to other parts of the country notably Anambra state and Abuja.
On January 23, 2022, a 72-year-old woman, Mrs. Adelesi Esther Omolade, raised the alarm about her illegal arrest and detention by then ACP Akin Fakorede, who was serving at Zone 13 Headquarters in Awka, Anambra State.
She claimed that the arrest caused her significant psychological and health challenges due to her advanced age and frail condition.
According to Mrs. Omolade, in the early morning hours of January 23, 2022, several unidentified police officers led by Mr. Akin Victor Fakorede, who were not in uniform, entered her home in Dawaki, Abuja, FCT. They arrested her and subsequently forced her to lead them to other family members located in Games Village, Kaura District, Abuja, FCT.
The arrest was related to a business transaction involving her daughter, Mrs. Adelesi Yinka, who was allegedly romantically involved with Akin Fakorede. The dispute centered on a contract agreement between Mrs. Adelesi Yinka and Rajol Jireh Limited, a company owned by Mrs. Judith Obiajulu Amaechi (wife of former Transportation Minister and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi).
Mr. Fakorede had served as a guarantor in this contract.
At the police station, Mr. Fakorede reportedly threatened to "wipe out" the entire family. The family was compelled to disclose their Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) and other banking details. After leaving them at the station, Fakorede informed them he would not return until 5 PM. The family was detained until 7 PM and was denied access to their lawyer.
They were eventually released on bail around 7 PM, after being forced to provide statements. Notably, they were instructed to leave large blank spaces in their statements, raising concerns that these spaces could be used to add fabricated information later.
To potentially obscure his actions, Mr. Akin Fakorede subsequently filed a civil action in the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, before Honourable Justice H. A. Nganjiwa.
Shun, Yet Indicted By Investigative Panel On SARS
When in 2020 the Federal Government mandated nationwide investigative panels to examine the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), the Rivers State Panel, which conducted its investigations between November 2020 and February 2021, was overwhelmed by numerous petitions targeting Akin Fakorede's leadership of the notorious police unit.
Sources within the investigative panel revealed that despite the volume of complaints, Fakorede consistently refused to appear before the panel, despite multiple formal invitations.
One of the most heart-wrenching petitions came from the family of Chief Nelson Diamond Yellowe, seeking N1 billion in compensation for the alleged murder of their son, Solomon Yellowe, a 27-year-old final-year student at the University of Port Harcourt.
The Yellowe family's petition provided a chilling account of their son's disappearance and death.
According to Mrs. Annah West, Solomon's elder sister, their son went missing on March 13, 2019. The family's nightmare was compounded when his corpse was discovered in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) mortuary on April 26, 2019 - a gap of over a month between his disappearance and the discovery of his remains.
In addition to seeking compensation, the family demanded the prosecution of Akin Fakorede and four other SARS operatives, alleging direct responsibility for Solomon's death. Their petition represented just one of numerous complaints against the former SARS commander, highlighting a pattern of alleged systemic misconduct.
According to the panel's report, 50 percent of the 107 accepted petitions were complaints against the Rivers State SARS under Akin Fakorede. In case No RCPB/2020/43, the panel heard a case of police brutality brought by the family of Mr. Fubara Elijah Briggs that resulted in the victim's death.
The panel documented that "the Nigerian Agip Oil Company in collaboration with Akin Fakorede, (then Commander of F-SARS in Rivers State) who though not an official of Nigerian Agip Oil Company was hired to conduct an orderly room trial leading to the death of the victim in this case".
Regarding the petitions against Former SARS Commander Akin Fakorede and other SARS officials indicted by the panel, the panel recommended: "It is recommended that if the named officers are found to be culpable or are not able to offer satisfactory explanation of their role in the alleged offence such officers should be dismissed or a reduction in rank. It is further recommended that if the said officer is dismissed he should then be charged to court under the appropriate Laws and the prescribed punishment imposed."
Unending Street Protests
The resentment and protests against Mr. Fakorede's brutality began long before the #EndSARS movement in November 2020. Numerous lawyers in Port Harcourt told SaharaReporters that they documented multiple petitions to police authorities detailing allegations of brutality, extortion, torture, and extrajudicial killings by SARS under Akin Fakorede.
These complaints were consistently ignored due to alleged Fakorede's strong political connections with a former state governor of Rivers state, Rotimi Amechi.
Even prior to the #EndSARS protest, street demonstrations in Rivers State demanded Akin Fakorede's removal. On December 10, 2017, thousands of residents, predominantly youths, took to Port Harcourt's streets to protest against SARS brutality under Fakorede's leadership.
Demonstrators voiced their demands through powerful anti-SARS songs and provocative placards.
The protesters placards featured strong messages: "Sack Akin Fakorede Now", "Stop Killings By SARS", "President Buhari Call SARS To Order", "End The Killings By SARS", and "End SARS' Brutality Now".
The group accused Rivers State SARS, led by Fakorede, of transforming into political criminals employed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perpetrate crimes against Nigerians.
They specifically called for Fakorede's immediate sack and prosecution, particularly highlighting an incident where he was captured on video committing electoral fraud.
The protesters particularly lamented the tragic deaths of three Ogoni youths killed by SARS operatives simply for preventing pipeline vandalism.
Legacy Of Land Grabbing And Violence In Anambra State
As Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka, Anambra State, Akin Fakorede faced serious allegations of systematic land grabbing and enabling violent property disputes.
For instance a detailed petition to the Police Service Commission (PSC), dated 24 July 2024 bearing reference number JUI&ASSO./VOL.01/24072024/chair-psc/ABJ, exposed disturbing incidents of alleged misconduct. The petition, filed by Anambra-based lawyer and human rights activist Comrade Justus Ijeoma, documented several specific and alarming incidents:
On May 14, 2024, Fakorede was accused of shielding land grabbers who deployed men in military uniform to violently demolish a building under construction in Onitsha. The deliberate use of men in military attire suggests an attempt to intimidate and illegally seize property.
In a separate incident, the same notorious land grabber, Mr. Ifeanyi Chiekwu, reportedly under Fakorede's protection violently invaded a property at Plot 60, Trans Nkisi Layout, Phase II in Onitsha. Their assault on tenants was so brutal that it resulted in the tragic death of a 4-month-old infant.
In a similar development, on the 19th day of July, 2024, Akin Fakorede allegedly deployed seven of his men, including: Insp. Effiong Eyo, Insp. John Achang and PC Asmond Okoro to aid the said Ifeanyi Chiekwu to unlawfully evict a tenant from her house at Plot 188 Trans Nkisi Layout, Phase II Onitsha without any order from any court.
When Barr Ijeoma got a wind of their unlawful invasion and tried to video recorded their unlawful activities, the officers brutalized Ijeoma and seized his phone.
On November 23rd, 2023, a group of naked women in Awka, Anambra, Nigeria, protested the alleged involvement of DCP Akin Fakorede and two other police officers in criminal activity, including land grabbing. The protesters, who were mostly naked women, accused the officers of aiding and abetting crime in the community.
They also claimed that the officers were responsible for destabilizing the local security outfit and protecting criminals. The police claimed the protesters were sponsored by land grabber.
Growing International Concern
His new appointment to head the IGP Monitoring Unit has allegedly raised significant alarm among international development partners and funding agencies. Several embassies and UN agencies, including the British High Commission, German Foreign office, the American Embassy, Swiss Embassy, UNDP, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC), and the United Nations Office for Human Rights(OHCHR), are currently offering support to the Nigerian police reform project.
Among the notable project is the Police Accountability and Reform (SPAAT) Project which is implemented by the UNDP and funded by the German Foreign Office.
Sources told SaharaReporters that these funding agencies and governments have invested millions of dollars in training and capacity building for the Nigerian Police Force, with a particular focus on internal and external oversight bodies since 1999.
Diplomatic sources suggest that Fakorede's appointment could potentially disrupt years of progress and undermine the credibility of ongoing police reform efforts within the Nigeria Police Force.
Most troubling, according to the report, is that multiple oversight bodies, including the Monitoring Unit itself and the Police Service Commission, are currently investigating complaints against Fakorede, making his appointment to the Monitoring Unit particularly controversial.
The appointment of a known human rights abuser to head the police monitoring unit raises serious questions about the Force’s commitment to accountability and reform.
Human rights activists who spoke to SaharaReporters argued that the move undermines the efforts of the international partners and could further erode public trust in the police.
Following his controversial tenure in Rivers State, Fakorede was transferred to various commands, serving in Brini-Gwari Area Command in Kaduna State from 2019 to 2021, Zone 13 in Anambra State from 2021 to 2023, and most recently at the Anambra State Criminal Investigation Department in 2024.
As the Nigerian Police Force grapples with numerous challenges, including allegations of corruption, brutality, and extrajudicial killings, the appointment of DCP Akin Fakorede to such a critical position is seen as a major setback to the reform initiatives, which has cost the Nigerian government and foreign development partners millions of dollars.
It remains to be seen how the IGP will address the growing public outcry and the concerns of international partners.
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