Report indicts security personnel enforcing lockdown for high level extortion
- Highlights extortion by Counter-terrorism officers in Jeddo
- Okays official commendation for exceptional officers
- CALLS FOR PROBE
Emmanuel Thomas l Thursday, July 16, 2020
LAGOS, Nigeria – A non-governmental organisation, CLEEN Foundation has called for investigation of operations of security personnel deployed across the South-South states for enforcement of lockdown following a high level of extortion by officers on duty during the period under observation.
This is based on a report by documented by the foundation using 6 state coordinators and 128 observers across all the local government areas in the South-South region.
The coordinators and observers monitored and documented several cases of human rights violations by security operatives in the region in addition to citizens’ adherence to government directives during the total lockdown and 2nd phase of the eased lockdown period.
The report coordinated in partnership with key government agencies such as the National Human Rights Commission, the Police Service Commission and law enforcement institutions like the Nigeria Police Force (Complaints Response Unit and the Gender Desk Unit) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps covered a three months period from 1st April – 30th June 2020.
CLEEN Foundation reported movement and extortion of motorists by security operatives deployed to man various points within states in the region.
The foundation noted that failure to wear facemasks was a major reason for the extortion of hapless citizens by security actors. These practices were particularly rampant at security check points and roadblocks.
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In Delta state, volunteers reported that in Jeddo Community located in Okpe Local Government Area of the state, some personnel of the Counter Terrorism Unit of the Nigeria Police Force popularly known as the ‘Red Beret’ in the state were observed to be publicly extorting citizens of various amounts of monies on a daily basis.
The amounts collected from citizens ranged from N5, 000 to N10, 000 daily for not wearing facemasks while boarding commercial tricycles within the reporting period.
Places like Udu, Otokutu Bridge, Jakpa/Ekpan, Airport road in Warri, and Sapele towns also recorded police personnel collecting between N1, 000 and N5, 000 naira for failure to wear facemasks. In Asaba, security personnel at the following check points: Okwe Junction, Summit road, Coka junction, Nnebisi road, Ibusa junction were observed extorting money from citizens to enable free access within the state capital as against government directive on no-movement in the state.
The same was applicable in Effurun Sapele Road, Otukutu Bridge, Ebrumede, amongst other areas in Warri. Traders were also extorted on a regular basis by security personnel on established market days in most markets in Uvwie and Ughelli areas of Delta state.
In Akwa Ibom state, it was observed that some operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from the Surveillance unit were extorting Tricycle operators and other motorists in the states using no facemask as excuses for these practices.
Our volunteers observed that the rate of extortion was particularly alarming during the day, which allowed for movement of personnel. Road blocks were mounted at different locations in the state namely: Afaha Obong Junction, Stadium Road by Ikot Ekpene Road Abak, Pepsi Junction by Idoro Road Uyo, Ikot Abasi Road by New Road Opposite Technical College Abak, Mkpat Enin, Uruan, Ikot Ekpene –Ikon Road, are places of extortion on a daily basis.
Also observed was a high level of extortion of tricycles and mini- bus operators by officials of the State traffic Office in Uyo.
In Edo state, our volunteers observed incidences of brutality and extortion by security personnel in the state. There were reports of residents being subjected to molestation and in-human treatments by security personnel even when arraigned by the Mobile Courts for allegedly violating government order on the use of facemasks.
These incidents, the report suggested were confirmed by the Nigeria Bar Association, Benin Branch Monitoring Committee on Human Rights that most of the residents arrested and arraigned before the mobile courts had their facemasks but were not wearing them at point of arrest.
In Ekpoma, Edo Central, we also recorded reports of extortion by Police personnel.
Extortion by Security Operatives Interstate
The complicity of security actors in allowing movements across states was particularly worrying within the reporting period.
Our volunteers in Akwa Ibom state reported that at the boundary between Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, security agents were seen collecting money and allowing butchers to enter Cross River State to buy goats to sell in Akwa Ibom despite a ban by the Akwa Ibom State Government.
The ban on interstate movement was put in place as part of measures by the Federal governments to stop the transmission of the virus from state to state.
In Delta state, our observers reported that the Ughelli-Bayelsa Highway, Koko-Benin Highway and Asaba-Onitsha head bridge became a bazaar for security personnel manning those checkpoints who were seen extorting transporters and commuters between N500 – N3000 at each checking point.
We observed regular entry and exits into the state through the Asaba – Onitsha and Patani-Bayelsa axis due to the compromising nature of security personnel.
In Bayelsa state, commercial motorists were observed moving passengers from Yenagoa to Port Harcourt (Rivers state) and to Ughelli (Delta State) with the complicity of security personnel.
In Rivers state, the land border closure were compromised as security agencies and the State Task Force collected N1,000 from drivers to cross the borders.
However, there were commendable reports by our observers of the non-compromising nature of the taskforce manning the borders of Rivers and Cross River states due to few incidences of incursion into Rivers state.
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Human Rights Violations/Extra Judicial Killings by security personnel
There were four (4) reported cases of extrajudicial killings of civilians involving security operatives on COVID-19 duties in the region.
Within the first lockdown period imposed by the Delta state government, observers recorded a case of extra-judicial killing by a soldier who was reported to have shot and killed a young man named Joseph Pessu in the Ugbangwe axis of Warri for violating the lockdown order of the State Government on the 1st of April, 2020.
This incident led to public outrage by angry youths in the area but peace was swiftly restored by the state government and the Nigeria Army when the soldier who committed the act was promptly arrested.
Similarly, on the 25th of April 2020, a tricycle rider was shot dead by a Police officer in Otokutu town in Delta State over an alleged refusal by the deceased to give bribe.
In Rivers state, a female police officer was shot dead by a member of the Rivers State Task Force in Elenu town in Obio- Akpor Local Government Area on the 23rd of April 2020.
The police personnel who was ensuring that peace is restored between the taskforce team and the traders who violated government directives was shot by a police sergeant attached to the State Task Force.
In addition, a young man was shot on the leg by personnel of the Nigeria Police at Abuloma in Port Harcourt Local Government Area for violating the lock down order which occurred on the 10th of May 2020.
CLEEN Foundation commended the quick action of the Nigerian Army in arresting personnel for the extra-judicial killing of a civilian and recommended that full spectrum of justice be administered by all security agencies whose personnel were indicted for human rights violations during the Covid-19 lockdown period.
Brutality of Citizens by security agents
The South-South region also recorded cases of high-handedness, torture and the use of force beyond permissible levels. These acts were perpetrated by state security agents including COVID-19 Taskforce teams set up by the state governments in the region.
In Bayelsa state, our observers reported incidences of human rights violations and illegal detention on the 27th of April 2020 of children and persons living with disability in Yenagoa and Ogbia local Government areas by the Nigeria Police at around 6:00 pm before the restricted curfew hours of 7:00 pm.
Furthermore, a pharmacist was reported to have been arrested while on essential duty in Port Harcourt by the Rivers State COVID-19 Taskforce on the 12th of May 2020. He was reported to have been humiliated and detained in the police cell. Subsequently, the sum of N20, 000 was paid by the Pharmacist for bail. The state taskforce team were seen intimidating residents while enforcing the lock down orders, mostly around Obio Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government areas of the state.
In Akwa Ibom state, security personnel were seen violating the rights of the citizens through the use of barbaric and unjustifiable force. A Medical Doctor of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital was assaulted by the security personnel on the 3rd of April 2020 even when he produced a valid means of ID showing he was on essential duty.
We also received reports of intimidation which led to injuries on traders in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom state by security operatives leading to serious altercation. The situation was however brought under control by the intervention of the Chairman of the State COVID-19 Taskforce.
Our observers also reported that in Sapele, Delta state, security personnel shot at protesters who staged a peaceful protest against the extension of the sit-at-home order on 16th of April 2020. Some protesters were flogged, molested while some sustained various degrees of injuries.
Compliance to use of facemasks/Physical Distancing in Public Places
There was partial compliance in most parts of the region. Physical distancing was observed in the urban areas while rural communities and riverine areas carried on with business as usual.
Some places of worship adhered minimally to Covid-19 guidelines. The approved market and movement days also served as grounds for overcrowding across major markets in the region. In some urban areas of Delta state, it was observed that most transporters did not adhere to physical distancing when conveying passengers on market days.
Most markets in the state operated in Primary and Secondary schools closest to their place or residence and social distancing was not adhered to as the markets were overcrowded.
In the major markets across the state, it was observed that no measures were put in place by the government to control the crowd for the three days the government approved for citizens to trade and stock-up on food supplies.
Our observers further reported that most citizens in coastal areas such as Ayakoromo, Ogbeingbene, Okirika, Gbekebor, Obotebe, Yayorogbene, Ekoro, Egologbene, Oyangbene, Akparemogbene, Eseimogbene in Burutu local government areas failed to make use of their facemasks knowing that the activities of monitoring task force were not strong in these areas.
Boat riders and passengers in the riverine communities of Egbokodo River in Warri, River Ethiope in Sapele, Urie River in Igbide Isoko, Asaba-Ase creek and Aragba River in Abraka, failed to make use of their masks believing that the virus will not spread to the territory.
However, with the ease of lockdown by the state government, most supermarkets, departmental stores, corporate organizations and designated offices were observed to permit entry of persons into their facilities only with facemask while the state taskforce enforcing violation of physical distancing was reported to have shut down some eateries around Ekpan, Ugberikoko, Ugbolokposo all in Uvwie LGA of Delta state.
In Edo state, it was observed that in Etsako East LGA, some churches were organising programmes with sizable gatherings without regards to physical distancing. Even most markets in the state were no exempted as the markets were overcrowded.
Compliance is said to be average on ban on public gathering as there are reported incidences of gathering of more than 20 persons by citizens in some part of the state. There is moderate compliance by residents on the use of facemasks while transporters complied fully with the physical distancing enforced by the state taskforce.
In most markets visited, especially Ibillo market in Akoko Edo LGA and Okhuesan communities in Esan south east LGA, citizens failed to adhere to physical distancing. Most transporters in the state adhered to physical distancing while commuting passengers. However, observers still recorded a few incidences of violations. Most citizens across the state were observed not to comply with the use of facemasks and physical distancing in public places.
The Cross River State Government on the 4th of April 2020 signed into law the ‘No-Mask-No Movement’ policy which prohibits the movements of persons around public places without a face mask.
A penalty of N100,000 was imposed on defaulters. Despite the policy, it was observed that some members of the Hausa community in Calabar, the state capital did not comply with social distancing rules.
However, there was a commendable level of compliance on the usage of facemasks by residents in the urban areas but there were several violations in the rural communities. Most citizens that participated in the local government area elections held in June 2020 wore face masks.
However, compliance to physical distancing amongst citizens was not adhered to and most polling units were not provided with hand sanitizers especially outside the state capital. It is hoped that with this new law, the level of compliance to the use of facemasks will improve across the state.
In Bayelsa state, it was observed that social distancing was not observed in most markets in the state. There were reports of non-compliance to physical and social distancing by commuters, transporters and even security operatives in the state mainly made up of Police, Army and Civil Defense Corps who checked vehicle particulars and controlled crowd movement including those patrolling the highways.
These operatives were not wearing facemask and other personal protective equipment including complying with social and physical distance in their various stations and barracks including Police Force (Ekeki, Azikoro, and Akenfa Police station), Civil Defense (Water Board road), Air Force (along Okaka express way), Army and Navy Based (at Agudama town) all in Yenagoa, the state capital.
It was further observed that most citizens living in the rural and riverine areas namely Kolokuma, Ogbia and Sagbama, Nembe and Southern Ijaw Local Government areas flouted government directives on the use of face mask. They were also reported not to observe physical distancing in their communities, however the compliance level in Yenagoa the state capital was observed to be high by citizens.
Our observers in Rivers state noted that the United Bank of Africa, Ikwerre Branch violated the directive on physical distancing and the branch was almost shut down by the Local Government chairman for noncompliance within the reporting period.
Other areas visited in the state apart from Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt LGAs, which were observed to commence partial lockdown on the 4th of May 2020, witnessed partial compliance by citizens to government directives. Most transporters were observed to adhere to physical distancing while commuting passengers but there were still few incidents of violations. Furthermore, volunteers observed that most police personnel on patrol neither wore face masks nor maintained physical distancing with motorists.
In Akwa Ibom state, our observers reported that in some areas namely Mbo, Okobo, Udung Uko, Urue Offong, worshippers in churches were observed not to comply with physical distancing and the use of facemasks while certain transporters were also observed not to comply with Government directives on physical distancing in Uyo.
Most markets visited especially at the community levels in Oron, Uruan, Ikot Abasi, Itu, Eastern Obolo Local Government Areas indicated low citizens’ compliance to government directive in this regard. However, following government directive to open worship centres in the state, our observers reported that physical distancing and use of facemask was observed in churches monitored in Mkpat, Oruk, Onna, Ikot Abasi and Uruan local government areas of the state.
However, churches in Udung, Okobo, Urue Offong and Mbo local government areas showed poor level of compliance as many worshippers did not make use of facemasks.
The report recommended training of security agents on the operational guidelines for the Police and other Law Enforcement Agencies issued by Nigeria Police Force.
It called on the Federal Government to ensure that security personnel are provided with personal protective equipment and hazard allowance, stressing that security personnel found guilty of extorting citizens and violating human rights should be disciplined appropriately to serve as a deterrent to other erring officers, while those that have excelled professionally should be commended formally.
“There is a need for a coordinated regional approach to Covid-19 directives by all state governors in the South-South region. State governments in the region should ensure total compliance by religious leaders in their states to Covid-19 directives on re-opening of places of worship”, the report noted, stressing that the State Task Forces on Covid-19 should be inclusive by having women, youths, religious leaders and people living with disabilities to enable community mobilization to beat the pandemic.
