By Sunday Apah
The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has criticized the decision made by the Magistrate Court in Asaba to discontinue the case involving malicious damage, attempted murder, and actions likely to disturb public peace, which was brought before the court following a seemingly fraudulent withdrawal letter submitted by an unidentified police counsel.
The CDHR has condemned this action as a distortion of justice.
In light of this situation, the committee has called upon Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun to reopen the case, referenced as suit number CMA/334c/2024 in Asaba Magistrate Court.
They emphasized that failing to do so could be misinterpreted as a police conspiracy to deny a law-abiding citizen due justice against his oppressors.
The case originated from an incident on July 23, 2024, in which armed gunmen, accompanied by police reportedly aligned with prominent land grabbers, invaded a property in Issele-Azagba, located behind Wichtech Roofing Company in Oshimili North Council area, Delta State.
This assault led to approximately N200 million worth of property damage and left a police orderly injured. In response, the complainant, Godwin Ikechukwu, sought legal redress.
After reporting the incident to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Okpanam Division in Asaba, the police subsequently initiated the case in the Magistrate Court.
However, while the trial was still underway, unauthorized police personnel from Abuja submitted a letter of discontinuation without consulting the complainant, abruptly halting the proceedings. This action has raised concerns about potential favoritism within the police force regarding the case.
Reacting to these developments, Comrade (Dr.) Kehinde Prince Taiga, President of the CDHR, expressed that the police’s choice to drop the case without the complainant’s involvement was both absurd and illogical, undermining the integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.
Taiga argued that the appropriate course of action would have been to allow the trial to proceed to its conclusion, highlighting that this approach would uphold public trust in the justice system, particularly for the average citizen.
He stated, “In a time when the judiciary faces scrutiny over allegations of biased justice favoring only the affluent, the police should have allowed the court to complete its proceedings to help restore faith in our legal system.”
He further criticized the police for their hasty decision, suggesting it indicated ongoing corruption among some officers, willing to compromise justice for personal gain, potentially due to financial inducements from influential individuals.
The CDHR is now urging IGP Kayode Egbetokun to reverse the decision to discontinue suit number CMA/334c/2024 at the Asaba Magistrate Court, filed on behalf of Godwin Ikechukwu against defendants including Adokwe Peter Nonso and Madu Obinna.
Additionally, the organization has called for inquiries into the actions of the police counsels from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, who produced the discontinuation letter without due consideration for the complainant.
The CDHR also pointed out the letter of discontinuation dated April 22, 2025, signed by Rotshang Faith Dimka, legal counsel/prosecutor, FCID, Force Headquarters, Abuja, and urged a thorough investigation to determine its authenticity.
If found fraudulent, they have requested prosecution of those responsible to deter future misconduct among officers exploiting the justice system for personal interests.
