Crime/Social Justice
Rights Group Slams Delta police over activist's arrest, torture, remand
Written By: Abdullahi Izuagbe
13 Sep 2025 05:10 AM
Ughelli, Delta – A prominent civic organization has fiercely denounced the Delta State Police Command's handling of a local human rights activist, accusing officers at the Ughelli Area Command of unlawful arrest, brutal torture, and a sham remand process.
The activist, Comrade Elvis Ekrakpoariemu, founder of the Foundation for Justice of the Underprivileged (FJU), remains detained at the Warri Correctional Centre on what supporters call fabricated defamation charges.
The Human Rights Freedom Global Network (HRFGN), in a strongly worded petition dated September 2025 and addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police for Zone 5 in Benin City, condemned the incident as a "gross violation" of Nigerian law and international human rights standards.
Signed by HRFGN President Comrade Alexander Ojumah Egwali, Legal Director Barr. Collins Edu Abiodun, and National Coordinator General Comrade Destiny Ogbemudia, the petition details allegations of severe mistreatment inflicted on Ekrakpoariemu during his detention.
According to the petition and sources close to the case, Ekrakpoariemu – a vocal critic of police extortion and corruption in Warri, Ughelli, and surrounding areas – was arrested in early August 2025 near Udu Local Government Area along the Ujevwu Express Road.
His advocacy, which included retrieving extorted funds from citizens and publicizing police abuses on social media, reportedly irked officers at the Ughelli Area Command, leading to his targeting.
While in custody, Ekrakpoariemu was allegedly blindfolded for days, held incommunicado, and subjected to beatings and exposure to chemical substances that caused serious injuries to his left eye.
He was also deprived of his mobile phones and personal belongings, which have not been returned.
"These cruel and degrading acts represent gross violations of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended), the Anti-Torture Act 2017, as well as Nigeria’s binding obligations under international human rights treaties," the HRFGN stated in the petition.
On August 26, 2025, Ekrakpoariemu was arraigned before the Ughelli Magistrate Court on three counts of defamation under charge sheet MU/236C/2025 (Commissioner of Police vs. Elvis Ekrakpoariemu). The court discharged him, but police immediately rearrested him at the premises and rushed him to a High Court in Ughelli, where he was remanded to the Warri Correctional Centre the same day.
Sources told that the charges were "trumped up" in retaliation for his anti-corruption work.
HRFGN described the episode as part of a broader pattern of police impunity that erodes public trust in the Nigeria Police Force.
"We view the persecution of human rights defenders as an assault on democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria," the group declared, emphasizing that silencing activists who expose corruption only emboldens further abuses.
In a series of urgent demands, HRFGN called for:
- An independent and transparent investigation into the Ughelli Area Command officers' conduct.
- Immediate suspension of all implicated officers pending the probe's outcome.
- Provision of urgent medical care for Ekrakpoariemu, including a comprehensive medico-legal examination.
- Release of his seized belongings, particularly his mobile phones.
Protection of his fundamental rights and safeguards against further victimization.
- Compensation of ₦500 million for physical, psychological, and reputational damages.
The petition was copied to key authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, the Police Complaint Response Unit, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, and the Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
As of September 13, 2025, there has been no official response from the Delta State Police Command or higher authorities.
Ekrakpoariemu's case highlights ongoing concerns about police accountability in Nigeria, where human rights groups have long documented patterns of extortion, torture, and retaliation against critics.
HRFGN urged the Nigerian public, civil society, and international community to rally in support until justice is achieved.
The activist, Comrade Elvis Ekrakpoariemu, founder of the Foundation for Justice of the Underprivileged (FJU), remains detained at the Warri Correctional Centre on what supporters call fabricated defamation charges.
The Human Rights Freedom Global Network (HRFGN), in a strongly worded petition dated September 2025 and addressed to the Assistant Inspector General of Police for Zone 5 in Benin City, condemned the incident as a "gross violation" of Nigerian law and international human rights standards.
Signed by HRFGN President Comrade Alexander Ojumah Egwali, Legal Director Barr. Collins Edu Abiodun, and National Coordinator General Comrade Destiny Ogbemudia, the petition details allegations of severe mistreatment inflicted on Ekrakpoariemu during his detention.
According to the petition and sources close to the case, Ekrakpoariemu – a vocal critic of police extortion and corruption in Warri, Ughelli, and surrounding areas – was arrested in early August 2025 near Udu Local Government Area along the Ujevwu Express Road.
His advocacy, which included retrieving extorted funds from citizens and publicizing police abuses on social media, reportedly irked officers at the Ughelli Area Command, leading to his targeting.
While in custody, Ekrakpoariemu was allegedly blindfolded for days, held incommunicado, and subjected to beatings and exposure to chemical substances that caused serious injuries to his left eye.
He was also deprived of his mobile phones and personal belongings, which have not been returned.
"These cruel and degrading acts represent gross violations of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended), the Anti-Torture Act 2017, as well as Nigeria’s binding obligations under international human rights treaties," the HRFGN stated in the petition.
On August 26, 2025, Ekrakpoariemu was arraigned before the Ughelli Magistrate Court on three counts of defamation under charge sheet MU/236C/2025 (Commissioner of Police vs. Elvis Ekrakpoariemu). The court discharged him, but police immediately rearrested him at the premises and rushed him to a High Court in Ughelli, where he was remanded to the Warri Correctional Centre the same day.
Sources told that the charges were "trumped up" in retaliation for his anti-corruption work.
HRFGN described the episode as part of a broader pattern of police impunity that erodes public trust in the Nigeria Police Force.
"We view the persecution of human rights defenders as an assault on democracy and the rule of law in Nigeria," the group declared, emphasizing that silencing activists who expose corruption only emboldens further abuses.
In a series of urgent demands, HRFGN called for:
- An independent and transparent investigation into the Ughelli Area Command officers' conduct.
- Immediate suspension of all implicated officers pending the probe's outcome.
- Provision of urgent medical care for Ekrakpoariemu, including a comprehensive medico-legal examination.
- Release of his seized belongings, particularly his mobile phones.
Protection of his fundamental rights and safeguards against further victimization.
- Compensation of ₦500 million for physical, psychological, and reputational damages.
The petition was copied to key authorities, including the Inspector General of Police, the Police Complaint Response Unit, the Delta State Commissioner of Police, and the Delta State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
As of September 13, 2025, there has been no official response from the Delta State Police Command or higher authorities.
Ekrakpoariemu's case highlights ongoing concerns about police accountability in Nigeria, where human rights groups have long documented patterns of extortion, torture, and retaliation against critics.
HRFGN urged the Nigerian public, civil society, and international community to rally in support until justice is achieved.
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Please you people should try and release him Biko, I am begging you ooo, release him please he has stayed too long oooo
10 Oct 2025 11:55 AM