Leaked Nigeria Police Force Report Reveals 11 Custody Deaths in Awkuzu RRS between March and December 2022 under the watch of Three Notorious Police Officers, CSP Patrick Agbazue, SP Nkeiruka Nwode, and Inspector Harrison Akama, as Whistleblower Nnamdi Emeh Remains Detained Despite Bail

I have obtained an interim investigation report issued from the office of the Inspector-General of Police at the headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja. The document examined allegations arising from a social media campaign that accused officers of the Rapid Response Squad/Anti-Kidnapping Unit in Awkuzu, Anambra State, of serious abuses, including extrajudicial killings and organ harvesting.

The report, signed by Idris Abdullahi Abubakar, was circulated internally to senior police leadership for action, but was never made public neither was action taken against the policemen.

The case is linked to Suit No. FHC/AWK/60C/2023 before the Federal High Court in Awka.

According to court records:

Whistleblower Nnamdi Daniel Emeh was granted bail on May 17, 2023 by Justice F. O. Riman (now late).

His bail conditions were perfected in May 2024, and a release order was signed by Justice S. M. Shuaibu.

Despite this, the police obtained an ex parte motion blocking his release, and he has remained in custody ever since.

Although the report appears to attempt to minimize the allegations against these officers, it nonetheless identifies serious misconduct, egregious acts involving three officers of the Awkuzu unit: CSP Patrick Agbazue, SP Nkeiruka Nwode (popularly known as “Ruka”), and Inspector Harrison Akama.

The report acknowledges that at least eleven suspects died in police custody between ,, with the deaths classified as “sudden and unnatural.” It also revealed that the Awkuzu unit failed to maintain mandatory police records, including cell registers, crime diaries, station diaries, and prisoner lock-up registers—failures that investigators said made accountability and oversight extremely difficult.

Rather than focus on these findings, the investigation centered heavily on the role of Nnamdi Emeh, who had previously served as a corps member attached to the unit in an IT capacity. According to the report, Emeh allegedly had access to sensitive operational information and later used that access to launch a social media campaign accusing officers of grave crimes.

Police traced the dispute to the arrest of a suspect identified as Chibuike Ekweme, also known as “Temple,” described as a gun runner and suspected member of IPOB/ESN. During that investigation, Emeh reportedly handled the suspect’s mobile phones for forensic analysis. The report alleges that instead of conducting legitimate analysis, he hacked the device and arranged the transfer of ₦36 million from the suspect’s account to a bureau-de-change operator, allegedly retaining ₦4 million for himself before fleeing.

Following the incident, police arrested several individuals linked to the transaction, including a bureau-de-change operator and a bank employee. They were charged with conspiracy and murder and remanded at the Onitsha Correctional Centre, though their families later claimed they could not determine their whereabouts after the arrests.

Emeh subsequently began publishing allegations online accusing officers of the Awkuzu unit of extrajudicial killings and organ harvesting. The posts circulated widely on social media platforms, including Gistlover, prompting eighteen complaints from members of the public alleging brutality and misconduct by officers of the unit.

While the report rejected the allegation of organ harvesting, it confirmed serious operational failures within the police unit. Investigators found repeated violations of policing procedures, disregard for human-rights safeguards, and systemic failures in record-keeping.

The report recommended that the Assistant Inspector-General of Police for Zone 13, Ukpo, and the Anambra State Police Command submit documentation relating to the eighteen complaints received against the officers. It also recommended reorganizing the Awkuzu Rapid Response Squad to align with international policing standards and Nigeria’s criminal justice laws.

Further recommendations included briefing the public on the investigation to calm tensions and defending civil suits filed by families of detainees who allegedly died in police custody. Pending the outcome of the investigation, the report recommended redeploying CSP Patrick Agbazue, SP Nkeiruka Nwode, and Inspector Harrison Akama from Zone 13 to Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The report concluded that the Inspector-General of Police had reviewed and upheld its recommendations.

However, rather than leading to accountability for the officers implicated in the investigation, the whistleblower, Nnamdi Emeh, became the central target of prosecution. Despite being granted bail and fulfilling the court’s conditions, his release was halted by an ex parte order obtained by the police, and he has remained imprisoned since 2024 while the officers named in the report have continued their careers within the police force.

P.S: LET ME STATE THAT I COULD NOT GET THE FULL REPORT AS IT WAS MUTILATED BY THE POLICE HIERARCHY, HELLBENT ON SHIELDING THESE OFFICERS AND BURNISHING THE IMAGE OF THE POLICE