HURIWA Challenges IGP to Emulate DSS DG, Free Four MT THOR Detainees, Investigate CSP Sini

PRESS STATEMENT

HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA)

HURIWA Challenges IGP to Emulate DSS DG, Free Four MT THOR Detainees, Investigate CSP Sini

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunde Disu, to emulate the human rights record and corrective interventions of the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, by urgently addressing allegations of prolonged and unlawful detention of four men connected to the MT THOR vessel.

HURIWA said the recent decision by the DSS Director-General to release four persons arrested over alleged links to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and approve N20 million compensation for them provides an important example of how security institutions can acknowledge operational mistakes, correct injustices and rebuild public confidence.

The Association particularly commended Ajayi for authorising the immediate release of Emele Uduma Ibe, Berefgagha Appah, Ondokeyilemi Aggry and Oyeinmokebebeton Aggry after investigations reportedly established that they had been misled into believing they would receive monthly payments of N100,000 under the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.

The four men, who were arrested in May 2022 in Bayelsa State, were each approved to receive N5 million, bringing the initial compensation package to N20 million.

HURIWA considers this intervention significant because it demonstrates that national security responsibilities must not become an excuse for prolonged detention of innocent citizens or the denial of fundamental human rights.

The Association is particularly encouraged by the wider institutional reforms attributed to Ajayi since he assumed office in 2024, including the review of more than 300 inherited terrorism-related cases, the reported reduction of detainees in DSS facilities to about 100 and the payment of more than N1 billion in compensation to persons reportedly cleared of allegations or affected by operational mistakes.

Other reported interventions include the N20 million compensation and medical support awarded to a Jos-based businessman mistakenly shot by DSS operatives in Plateau State; N10 million paid to Chineze Ozoadibe following her wrongful arrest; N10 million to Sunday Ifedi after investigations cleared him of alleged IPOB links; and N5 million to Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor after he was similarly absolved.

These interventions reinforce the principle that security agencies must be accountable for their actions and that citizens whose rights are violated deserve remedies.

HURIWA also recalls Ajayi’s public acknowledgement that security agencies, being human institutions, are capable of making mistakes, but insists that where such mistakes result in injury or injustice, appropriate remedies must follow.

The Association urges the IGP to translate this principle into concrete action in the MT THOR matter.

**THE MT THOR PETITION: IGP MUST ACT NOW**

HURIWA’s challenge to the IGP follows a formal petition dated October 26, 2026, submitted to the police chief by P. O. Onucheyo, Esq., and S. D. Omẹde, Esq., solicitors representing interests connected to MT THOR.

The petition concerns the continued detention of four men identified as Ebor Eric Kessiena, John Atawo Lawrence, Godwin Okpaje and Mukaila Sarumi, who were reportedly arrested on December 15, 2025, following the interception of the MT THOR vessel at Koko, Warri, Delta State.

According to the petition, the vessel was being towed under Marine Police escort to the Warri jetty and was reportedly within the custody and control of the Admiralty Marshal pursuant to Federal High Court proceedings when the men were intercepted.

The lawyers maintained that the four men were carrying out the task of pumping water from the vessel’s engine room to prevent flooding and possible sinking when they were arrested.

They questioned the circumstances surrounding the interception, the subsequent arrest and the criminal allegations of illegal petroleum dealings and crude oil theft brought against the men.

The petition further alleged that the four men had remained in detention at the Okere Correctional Centre, Warri, for more than six months, raising serious questions about the circumstances of their continued incarceration.

Of particular concern is the petition’s reference to proceedings before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Daylop Pam, which reportedly issued an order for the arrest and production of CSP Omar John Sini in connection with the fundamental rights issues raised by the detained men.

The petition also drew attention to Suit No. FHC/W/CS/65/2024, correspondence concerning the transfer of the matter to the appropriate investigative formation and questions surrounding a December 12 analysis attributed to CSP Sini.

The lawyers requested an independent investigation into the circumstances of the arrest and continued detention of their clients, including scrutiny of the evidence relied upon, the circumstances of the vessel’s interception, the men’s alleged dewatering responsibilities and the handling of relevant court and Marine Police records.

HURIWA considers the allegations sufficiently grave to warrant urgent intervention by the IGP, particularly because they raise questions about respect for judicial authority, the independence of investigations and the protection of citizens against arbitrary detention.

**IGP MUST ORDER IMMEDIATE RELEASE AND INVESTIGATE CSP SINI**

HURIWA is therefore demanding that the IGP immediately reviews the circumstances of the detention of Ebor Eric Kessiena, John Atawo Lawrence, Godwin Okpaje and Mukaila Sarumi and orders their release if, as alleged, their continued detention is contrary to subsisting orders of courts of competent jurisdiction.

The IGP must also ensure that CSP Omar John Sini and any other officers implicated in the petition are subjected to an independent and transparent investigation.

The police leadership must establish why the alleged court directives have not been complied with, examine the legal basis for the continued detention of the four men and determine whether due process was followed in the handling of the MT THOR investigation.

HURIWA insists that no police officer, irrespective of rank or position, should operate as though court orders are optional instructions.

The Association is particularly concerned that allegations of disregard for judicial authority, if established, could undermine public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force and create the impression that individual officers can place themselves above the law.

The IGP should obtain and examine the relevant certified court records, Marine Police documentation, vessel custody records, investigative reports and other evidence necessary to establish the facts.

HURIWA stresses that the objective is not to shield anybody from legitimate criminal investigation but to ensure that investigations and prosecutions are conducted within the boundaries of the Constitution and the rule of law.

**PUBLIC CONFIDENCE MUST BE EARNED THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY**

The Association believes that one of the most effective ways for the IGP to attract public confidence is to demonstrate the same willingness to acknowledge and correct institutional mistakes that the DSS Director-General has reportedly demonstrated.

Security agencies cannot demand public trust while ignoring legitimate complaints of rights violations, prolonged detention and alleged disobedience of court orders.

The DSS interventions demonstrate that national security and respect for human rights are not mutually exclusive. Indeed, an agency’s credibility is strengthened when it investigates its own mistakes, releases persons wrongly held and provides compensation where liability is established.

HURIWA therefore urges the IGP to make the MT THOR petition a test of the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to accountability and respect for judicial authority.

The police chief must not allow the petition to gather dust in official files while four citizens allegedly remain incarcerated under circumstances that demand urgent judicial and administrative scrutiny.

The Association further calls on the IGP to ensure that any officer found to have acted contrary to lawful court directives is held accountable in accordance with the law.

HURIWA maintains that the authority of the state is strengthened, not weakened, when security institutions admit mistakes, obey court orders and provide remedies to victims of wrongful actions.

The IGP should borrow a leaf from DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi. Public confidence is earned not merely through arrests and prosecutions but also through the courage to correct injustice, respect the courts and protect the fundamental rights of every Nigerian.

Signed:

Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko
National Coordinator
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA)
5th November, 2026