Crime
HURIWA Decries Failure of State Security Apparatus to Protect Citizens from Being Slaughtered by Islamists
The pervasive institutional failures of security agencies and more specifically, the Nigeria Police Force to effectively protect citizens accused of committing the so-called blasphemous offence from unjustified and extrajudicial executions by Islamic fundamentalists in the North has been described as a red flag which signposted the near collapse of the policing institution in Nigeria.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described it as unconstitutional for law enforcement agencies and the armed forces to habitually and constantly sabotage the enforcement of the rule of law and bring perpetrators of extrajudicial killings of citizens accused of blasphemy to justice.
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“It is so very wrong that Nigeria is normalising the primitive public executions of citizens accused of religious blasphemy as if to say that resorting to self-help measures such as lynching citizens publicly is tolerable. These killings are intolerable and absolutely unconstitutional and must be stopped. Section 33(1) of the 1999 constitution provides that “Every person has a right to life, and no one SHALL be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of an alleged criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria,” HURIWA noted.
The HURIWA, while condemning the very recent incident of lynching to death of a female food seller over alleged blasphemy in Niger State, spoke against the backdrops of the confirmation of the dastardly crimes of lynch-mob killing of a citizen as confirmed by the Niger State command of the Nigeria Police Force just as the lady simply known as Ammaye, was burnt to death by a mob over an alleged blasphemous utterance against the Islamic faith before security reinforcement could arrive.
The HURIWA which called for the sack of the Area commander and the state Commissioner of police for dereliction of duty and for their incapacity to save her life, lamented that the deliberate failures of security agencies to be proactive and respond in good time to save citizens on the verge of being killed, said the systematic public execution of citizens accused of blasphemy has become a pattern. “It is more appropriate to remind security heads that their allegiance first and foremost is to the Constitution of Nigeria and not to their religious sentiments of affiliations.
Spokesman of the Command, Wasiu Abiodun, who confirmed the killing of the food seller by Islamic extremists in a statement on Sunday, said efforts are ongoing to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.
Ammaye, a food seller, was lynched and set ablaze in Mariga Local Government Area of the state by suspected angry youths over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred at Kasuwan Garba in the council area, when the lady, a Muslim faithful and well-known food seller, was said to have engaged in an exchange of words with a young man said to be her nephew.
The HURIWA further condemned the seemingly silent decision by the security agents to allow religious fanatics and killer extremists to enforce brutal and illegal execution of citizens who they unilaterally accuse of blasphemy just as it is regrettable that in all of these cases in many decades, the security operatives have failed to arrest, prosecute and punish the killers who ought to be charged for premeditated murders and executed by firing squads upon conviction.
The HURIWA recalled that on 12th of May 2022, a 22-year-old Christian, Deborah Samuel Yakubu, was attacked by her classmates, stoned to death, and her body set on fire. A second-year economics student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, northern Nigeria, Deborah was accused of having sent a blasphemous message complaining via WhatsApp to her class about the forced introduction of religion into an academic study group.
It was upon her return to school following the holidays that classmates led a group to capture her. Witnesses described that “school security and police attempted to rescue the victim but were overwhelmed by the students.”
Contrary to Islamic legal norms, the brutal act of mob violence was a summary execution. A statement released by Sa’idu Mohammadu Maccido, the Sokoto State Sultanate Council Secretary, denounced the attack stating: “The Sultanate Council condemns the incident in its totality and has urged the security agencies to bring the perpetrators of the unjustifiable incident to justice.” […] “The Sultanate Council has urged all to remain calm and ensure peaceful co-existence among all people of the state and nation.”
After the attack, two individuals were arrested for the murder whereupon groups of young rioters – encouraged by adults in the background – attacked two Catholic churches; the vandals destroyed windows at the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral and partially burned the St. Kevin’s Catholic Church.
The HURIWA said that in June 2022 in Abuja a Nigerian man was burned to death by a mob in the capital Abuja following an argument with a Muslim cleric, police said.
Josephine Adeh, police spokesperson for Abuja, said Ahmad Usman had an argument with an unidentified cleric, which turned violent. Police who arrived at the scene took him to hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
“The heated argument degenerated into an outbreak of violence that led to the murder and setting ablaze of Ahmad Usman by the enraged mob mobilized by the clergy numbering about two hundred,” the police spokesman for Abuja said.
The HURIWA has therefore advocated that the Federal Government should encourage the National Religious Council coordinated by the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and another prominent Roman Catholic Cleric to embark on massive public enlightenment of citizens on the dangers of getting involved in religious motivated mob attacks especially those kind of public execution of citizens accused of committing blasphemy but to ensure that the due process of law take its full course. HURIWA urges the National Orientation Agency and the ministries of Information around Nigeria and especially in the North to educate citizens on the illegality of killing citizens they accuse of blasphemy without the accused persons being taken to the competent court of law recognised by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999, as amended.
The HURIWA is advocating the establishment by the police, the DSS and the armed security agencies to set up departments to coordinate speedy response to cases of alleged blasphemy and stop unruly mobs from taking the law into their hands against citizens accused of blasphemy by Islamic fundamentalists. “Allowing a pattern of public execution of citizens to become acceptable and for the police to wilfully fail on each occasion to save citizens facing allegations of committing blasphemy by religious fundamentalists is totally unwarranted and unconstitutional.
The Nigeria Police Force has commenced steps to investigate alleged financial crimes involving more than ₦178 million against the National Chairman of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Alhaji Mogaji Ibrahim Olaniyan, and other national executive officers of the organisation.
The allegations were contained in a petition submitted to the Inspector-General of Police on July 13, 2026, by the law firm of A.F. Obainoke & Co. on behalf of some elected national officers of the PCRC.
According to the petition, Olaniyan and some other national executive officers were accused of financial crimes involving more than ₦178 million.
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The petitioners said they were elected into various national positions in the PCRC in 2022, including the position of National Auditor, while Olaniyan was elected National Chairman and subsequently sworn into office.
In a letter dated July 20, 2026, the office of the Inspector-General of Police forwarded the petition to the Director of Legal Services of the Nigeria Police Force for appropriate action.
The letter, signed by CP Lateef Ahmed, Principal Staff Officer, conveyed the directive of the Inspector-General for the matter to be handled by the legal services department.
The document, according to the report, was received by the Directorate of Legal Services on July 28, 2026.
The latest development comes amid ongoing allegations and internal disputes surrounding the leadership of the PCRC under Olaniyan.
Previous Allegations
The development follows earlier allegations of financial mismanagement and accountability concerns within the organisation.
In March, some PCRC members reportedly accused Olaniyan of failing to account for more than ₦20 million allegedly generated from registration fees for the organisation’s 2026 national leadership workshop.
Sources cited in the report claimed that more than 2,000 PCRC members registered for the workshop at ₦12,000 each in January and February 2026.
The report also alleged that the organisation had not conducted a comprehensive audit of its national accounts for more than three years.
Another PCRC controversy emerged in 2023 when an eight-member committee was reportedly constituted to investigate allegations involving ₦60.3 million allegedly embezzled by the chairman.
A document cited in the report indicated that the committee confirmed that ₦60.3 million had been realised by the PCRC and reviewed expenditure records, with an alleged balance of approximately ₦1.4 million.
The committee reportedly recommended measures including greater financial discipline, limiting the chairman’s powers and ensuring compliance with the organisation’s constitution.
PCRC Election Controversy
The latest allegations also come amid disputes over internal elections within the PCRC.
In July, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 13, AIG Godwin Iguh Eze, reportedly postponed a PCRC Zone 13 election over alleged procedural issues.
The police said nomination forms had not been made available to the AIG or the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, while contestants had also not been screened by the AIG or members of the Zonal Management Team.
Sources further alleged that Olaniyan had sought to influence the electoral process, although he reportedly did not respond to attempts to obtain his reaction.
Meanwhile, sources within the PCRC reportedly claimed that Olaniyan is seeking another tenure as National Chairman ahead of the November 29 election.
Operatives of the Enugu Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested Basil Iwoba Ochili, Managing Director of Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, over alleged fraudulent activities involving N128 million.
The EFCC disclosed this in a statement posted on its official X account on Wednesday.
According to the commission, Ochili was arrested for allegedly using his company for fraudulent activities, including “obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-eight Million Naira).”
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The EFCC said Ochili was arrested based on a claim by a petitioner who alleged that sometime in September 2022, the suspect falsely presented himself as the owner of five plots of land situated beside Anambra State Secretariat by Stamford Hotel, Aroma Junction, Awka, Anambra State, and falsely offered the property for sale.
“Relying on the suspect’s representation, the petitioner purchased the said plots in the sum of N128,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Twenty-Eight Million Naira), which was paid into the suspect’s company account,” the EFCC said.
However, the commission said the petitioner was unable to take possession of the land.
Preliminary investigations, according to the EFCC, showed that the suspect knew that the land “encroached on Anambra State Government Secretariat’s land” but allegedly went ahead to sell it to the petitioner.
The commission further said that instead of refunding the petitioner’s money, Ochili “offered him two dud cheques.”
“Further preliminary investigations showed that the suspect used part of the money to settle his debts,” the EFCC said.
The commission also stated that Ochili’s company, Debasilio Construction and Estate Development Limited, “has never been tax compliant.”
The EFCC said the suspect will be charged to court after investigations are concluded.
“The suspect will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the commission stated.
The Federal High Court (FHC) sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has sentenced nine convicted crude oil thieves to 10 years in prison without an option of fine following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Navy (NN).
The convicts were among 19 suspects arrested earlier this year after security operatives caught them allegedly stealing crude oil from an oil well head identified as Asabo-D in Ibeno Local Council of the state.
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Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Joy Ikpeme found the nine men guilty on a two-count charge of conspiracy and tampering with an oil pipeline, contrary to Section 1(7) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
The judge sentenced each of them to five years’ imprisonment on the first count and 10 years on the second count, with no option of fine. The sentences are to run concurrently.
The remaining 10 suspects arrested during the operation are expected to face further legal proceedings.
The arrests followed an intelligence-led operation conducted by the DSS in collaboration with the NN as part of efforts to disrupt crude oil theft and illegal bunkering activities in the oil-producing communities of Akwa Ibom.
The conviction was described by a security source as another significant step in the sustained campaign against oil theft, particularly along Nigeria’s maritime and riverine areas.
According to the source, crude oil theft and illegal bunkering have continued to deprive the country of vital oil revenue while inflicting serious environmental damage on host communities.
The source said the latest conviction underscored the determination of security agencies to ensure that those involved in the theft of the nation’s crude resources are brought to justice.
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