This piece is on the case of the 13-year-old witch-hunt victim, Miss.B, and the unprofessional conduct of the Nigeria Police.
The police are expected to play important roles in law enforcement and criminal justice. These roles continue to evolve as society encounters emerging complex social issues. Along this line, the protection of human rights, peaceful communal relations, and the upholding of the rule of law, form key aspects of police work.
Unfortunately, the Nigeria police are known for human rights abuses including brutality, malfeasance, corruption, and other forms of criminality. These vices have stained their credibility, and birthed weak public confidence in the institution. More worrisome is this practice of collecting bribes or financial inducements before investigating cases or making arrests. This practice enables many lawbreakers, such as witch hunters, to go unpunished.
Recently, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW) approached the Benue state command of the Nigerian Police in the quest to get justice for 13-year-old, Miss B who was accused of being a member of a coven and tortured by her relatives.
On the 15th Saturday 2023, by 1:45 am, Miss.B, a junior secondary school student, was dragged out of her father’s house to a gathering of family members where she was asked to reveal the names of members of her coven. This incident took place at her family house, behind St Thomas Primary School, Oju Center along Ojenya Road, Oju LGA Benue state. Her father, Nathaniel Ijir Odege, was also present. According to Miss.B’s elder brother, Stephen, she and her dad were summoned by a family member, Oga Job Okwori, to appear before some family elders for a discussion. Before they got to the gathering, a relative, Abeni Oga, who has now been arrested and charged to court, instructed that a large fire be set up.
Stephen recounts that a maid from Ukpa, staying with a relation of theirs, the late Item Adaikwu’s wife, identified Miss.B and some elders and kids as members of their coven. The children of late Item Adaikwu’s wife accused the maid of chasing them in their sleep whenever she (the maid) receives disciplinary action from her madam. After an interrogation process, the maid named Miss.B, as a member of their coven.
Among those identified, Miss.B was the only one summoned that night. She recounts that she knew nothing about it, and so maintained her innocence; but her insistence on innocence angered her accusers who asked her to sit very close by the fire, whence she sustained some intense burns on her buttocks. She remained seated there till morning, at around 7 am, at which point, the pain and heat became absolutely too unbearable, and whence she confessed to being a witch in the hopes of securing her freedom from her adversaries.
Miss. B’s dad could not defend or protect her because the heated mob was ready to pounce on him too. He himself had been accused of manipulating witchcraft to kill a family member in February of 2023. Some of those gathered there had expressed intentions to hurt him in the past and obviously were waiting for him to provide such an opportunity. The entire family and community stayed silent about the torture of Miss.B. But her father and brother reported the matter to the police officer in charge of surveillance in Oju, however, no attempts at arresting suspects were made.
The names of the perpetrators of this inhumane treatment include:
1. Abeni Oga was arrested and charged to court on the 15th of May 2023.
2. Agwukwa Oga
3. Okwori Oga Job
4. Item Agama Maliki .
5. Ogah Ogbu
Two of the perpetrators are currently on the run, while the Police are yet to arrest the remaining suspects who are still living in Oju town. Miss.B’s elder brother reports that the Divisional Police Officer was reluctant to arrest any of them because he was waiting to be bribed before he could perform his duty. Sadly, even when he was given some money, he still refused to act. As soon as the AfAW were notified of Miss.B’s case, we swung into action. On the 18th of April 2023, the Benue state advocates of AFAW contacted Stephen, Miss.B’s elder brother, to get more details, initiate the prosecution process and pay for her medical bills. Funds were sent to Miss.B’s father to enable him to travel with Miss.B down to Makurdi where the case would be reported to the police, and a petition was forwarded to the Benue state commissioner of police.
Miss. B and her dad arrived in Makurdi on the 26th of April 2023 from where they were led to the Benue State police headquarters. A petition, which had already been drafted, was submitted to the CP, Benue Command, briefing him of the violations of Miss.B’s rights and requesting immediate action. The personal assistant of the CP received the letter on his behalf and asked the Homicide Unit to take it up for further action. The Investigating Police Officer asked AfAW to pay the sum of sixty thousand Naira (N60,000) before they could make any arrests. The Nigerian Police, an institution responsible for the enforcement of the rule of law and the protection of human rights, refused to act except when bribed. Though inadequate, the government provides funds for the maintenance of law and order. The police have no excuse whatsoever to extort money from a struggling advocacy group that was seeking to secure justice for a teenage victim of abuse.
AFAW took over the hotel bills, feeding, medical needs, bolt fees, etc of Miss.B while in Makurdi and this was draining to the purse of the group. Efforts to make the police see and understand our burden were futile, but AFAW decided not to support or encourage this money extortion system by contributing to it. AFAW wants justice, but not one that is bribed to reality. To this end, AFAW demanded to meet and dialogue with the officer in charge of the homicide unit who, to our chagrin, said the N60, 000 was too minimal to request for that kind of job. AFAW had to return Miss.B to her hotel room and re-strategize.
Another letter was drafted and submitted to the National Human Rights Commission for action. We also briefed them on the challenges faced at the police headquarters. Informally, we informed the Benue state chapters of the Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Bar Association, and Federation of International Women Lawyers. On the 28th of April 2023, the national director of AFAW, Dr. Leo Igwe, asked AFAW’s contact person in Benue state to submit another letter to the CP, Benue State Command. The letter was addressed to him as a private citizen. We had hoped that by using this format, it would be directly delivered to him. We did not receive any response from him, and then learned that weekend that he had been transferred to Delta State. The available police at the headquarters remained uninterested in taking up the case without a bribe.
The failure of the police to respond with the expected action led us to contact the Police Public Relations Officer of Zone 4. He explained that the officers at the headquarters should not have asked us for such an amount of money without giving a valid excuse. According to him, they should have demanded a lesser amount to pay for a “serviceable vehicle” to use. Another fancy term to wield and extort money from complainants. This PPRO referred us back to the OC Homicide at the police headquarters who, angered that we had reported her to her boss, asked us to provide a vehicle or pay them to hire a vehicle. AFAW offered to provide the sum of N30,000 for them to provide fuel for any of their vehicles, an offer which was flatly turned down. We were told that the N60,000 earlier requested would not be sufficient for the assignment, as the assigned officers would also need to eat; adding that it is our responsibility to provide money for their feeding. The victim was distraught at this point. She was bearing the physical pains of the burns, the psychological trauma of the experience, and reluctance of the police to perform their duty and defend her human rights.
AFAW contacted the Zonal PPRO to inform him of our inability to agree with the Homicide chief. He promised to impress on the OC Homicide to work with the amount AFAW offered, however, he failed to give feedback as promised. AFAW would repeatedly contact him via his cell, but got no response. Meanwhile, the perpetrators in Oju were issuing threats and insults to Miss.B’s mother who had remained back home. They bragged and dared Miss.B’s father to report the matter to the police and face the consequences. To motivate the police, AFAW tried to show them how these people disregarded them and sadly, the police cared more about money than their constitutional duty.
It became obvious that the Zonal PPRO was not interested in helping AFAW and the victim, so the director of AFAW contacted the former Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 4, who had just been transferred out to another Zone, to request him to avail us of the contact number of the current AIG, Musa Halidu, who had just resumed duty in Zone 4. He is the highest-ranking police officer in Zone 4 which comprises 3 states, and is within the cadre to which Nigeria’s police chiefs are appointed. AFAW contacted him and also submitted a petition to his office, asking him to stop the extortion and mandate his officers to swing into action.
On the 4th of May 2023, AFAW and the victim met with Musa Halidu in his office at Zone 4. He referred the case to one Deputy Commissioner of Police and asked him to see that our demands are met. The DCP maintained that AFAW must fuel their (police) vehicle to Oju where the arrests will be made. It was clear that without making any payment to them, they wouldn’t act. After much bargaining, AFAW transferred the sum of thirty-five thousand naira (N35,000) to the investigating officer at Zone 4 to make the arrests.
By this time, Miss.B and her father had spent close to 2 weeks in the hotel where they were lodged in Makurdi. We seized this opportunity to treat her wounds and get her some gifts to make her feel relieved and happy. She gradually began lightening up. But a few days later, we still had yet to hear from the police. AFAW had to make several calls to encourage them to deliver on their part of the bargain, and finally, on the 8th of May 2023, the police in Oju arrested Abeni Oga, whom we learned, resisted arrest and also rallied thugs to obstruct police duty. Having secured him, the mastermind, the police left the other two who were within reach, and instead, rushed Abeni down to Makurdi. Upon arrival, AFAW paid for the vehicle which conveyed the suspect and the police to Makurdi, the feeding of the officers for the night, and transport (of the police) back to Oju the next day to complete their job. AFAW inquired to know what the N35,000 previously offered was used for, and no one could offer a satisfactory answer. In the end, it was obvious that the police would not have acted if we had not paid up. They only work if they are bribed or able to extort money from people. Early this year, the police requested one hundred thousand naira ( N100,000) from a relative of an 89 years old victim of witch persecution before arresting the people who burnt the victim. AFAW had to intervene by reporting it to the former AIG who ordered the unit to get to work.
Many officers of the police force who engage in this practice are never punished, thereby affecting the chances of poor and helpless members of society to get justice. It is now like a tradition, a proud tradition of the Nigerian police. Currently, the force is one of the most hated and least trusted security outfits in Nigeria. They prey on helpless Nigerians and brutalize them if any resistance is offered. Many motor users have been shot by police officers for refusing to give bribes as low as fifty naira (N50).
Finally, on 15 May 2023, AFAW reminded the police to charge Abeni Oga in court. Here as well, AFAW had to pay for transport fees to the court and other monies required by the court clerks and state-appointed lawyer. The sitting judge granted the suspect bail on the condition that he provided the sum of two hundred thousand naira and surety, who must be senior government staff or own verifiable property in Makurdi. She fixed the next hearing on the 24th of June 2023. AFAW will continue to remind and work with the police to arrest other suspects. When the advocates of AFAW got to court on the said date, the judge shifted the case to July 19, 2023. The case is still ongoing and AFAW has engaged another lawyer to see that Miss.B and her family gets justice. In the meantime, AFAW will continue to support Miss.B and her family.
Dooyum Ingye (Benue Humanist) directs the Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AFAW) in Benue state, Nigeria.
The post Policing Child Witch Hunts In Benue State -By Dooyum Ingye first appeared on Opinion Nigeria.
