By Dickson Okoh
Abuja — In a dramatic turnaround, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has ordered the immediate withdrawal of what civil society organisations (CSOs) have labeled “fabricated and malicious charges” filed against the Chairman of EFAB Properties. The IGP further mandated a complete reinvestigation of the case, effectively suspending all pending prosecutorial actions.
The decision follows sustained pressure from a coalition of CSOs, which had accused the police’s Special Tactical Squad (STS) of engaging in a “dangerous pattern of misconduct,” including filing charges without diligent inquiry and allegedly acting as tools for influential individuals seeking to victimize innocent citizens.
Reinvestigation Ordered with Immediate Effect
According to impeccable sources within the Force Headquarters, the IGP’s directive is clear: the case file must be retrieved from the court, all charges withdrawn, and a fresh, impartial investigation commenced without delay. The order stresses that no party involved—whether complainant or accused—should be given preferential treatment.
The CSOs had previously raised the alarm that the case had become a textbook example of justice subversion, alleging that “a serial land grabber was allowed to masquerade as a victim, while the genuine victim was cynically framed as the accused.”
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, Professor Barika Dominic Saro Laka of The Mighty One Empowerment Foundation accused the STS of professional recklessness. He alleged that the squad obtained a Direct Criminal Investigation order to arraign Mr. Nworah, the EFAB Chairman, while deliberately ignoring the fact that the same impostor complainant had already been charged by both the regular police and the EFCC over the same land dispute.
“You cannot build a just society on a foundation of police shortcuts and malicious prosecutions,” Professor Laka declared. “The STS must be held accountable for attempting to bury the truth under a mountain of procedural fraud.”
CSOs Warn Against New ‘Enforcement Culture of Impunity’
In a strongly worded joint statement, the coalition likened the STS’s actions to a “new, discredited enforcement culture” where speed and loyalty are prioritized over evidence and fairness. They warned that if left unchecked, such practices would erode public confidence in all law enforcement institutions.
The groups also raised serious questions about inter-agency rivalry, noting that it is “absurd and illegal” for two separate government bodies—the regular police and the EFCC—to be investigating the same facts while the STS clandestine pushes a contradictory narrative in court.
Media Cautioned Against Unverified Reporting
The CSOs extended a note of caution to media houses, urging them to verify facts before publishing sensational claims designed to sway public opinion.
“An accused person cannot deploy media propaganda and sponsored press releases to silence serious criminal allegations or to intimidate investigators,” the statement read. “We call on journalists to be gatekeepers of truth, not megaphones for manipulation.”
‘Triumph of Truth Over Manipulation’
Reacting to the IGP’s intervention, the coalition’s spokesperson, Pastor Oka, described the withdrawal of charges as “the triumph of truth over manipulation and the defeat of impunity.”
“We can never arrive at justice through the route of injustice,” Pastor Oka stated emphatically. “The IGP has demonstrated that no matter how powerful the individuals behind a false case, the long arm of the law can still be used to protect the innocent, not just to harass them.”
The coalition expressed hope that the reinvestigation would lead to the prosecution of all individuals—whether private citizens or police officers—found to have conspired to file the trumped-up charges.
“For the sake of justice and the integrity of the system, no one should be spared,” they added. “The IGP has this day set a new, commendable standard for police accountability in Nigeria.”
Middle-Belt Times 