An Abuja-based civil rights group, the Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture, INAHURAT, has urged President Bola Tinubu to order a full-scale probe into the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of a Rwandan businessman, Benjamin Hassan Rulisa, who has been held for over six months without trial.
The group also called on the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to immediately identify, investigate, and discipline all officers involved in the alleged illegal arrest, detention, and attempted extortion.
The businessman was reportedly detained in an underground cell for more than six months by officers of the Nigerian Police Monitoring Unit and Intelligence Response Team, IRT, without the knowledge or authorisation of the IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja on the businessman’s ordeal, the director of the civil rights group, Chief Maxwell Chibuike Opara, narrated how the victim of the unlawful detention met a Nigerian, Muhammad Abba, in March 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya. Following a business acquaintance, he was invited to Nigeria.
Opara, a human rights lawyer, claimed that upon his arrival in Nigeria, Muhammad Abba took the businessman to a hotel in Maitama, Abuja, where he was lodged.
The lawyer said that while the businessman was relaxing in his hotel room, officers from the police Monitoring Unit stormed the premises, arrested him, and took him away without explanation.
According to the group, the victim was immediately detained at the IRT underground cell and subjected to inhumane treatment, including six months of severe torture.
Opara alleged that the businessman was hung upside down by his legs and denied access to his family or legal representation.
Upon repeatedly asking for his offence, the civil rights group claimed the detainee was merely told that he had “duped someone,” adding that until now, no formal complaint, evidence, or proof has been presented against him.
Instead of investigating any alleged wrongdoing, Opara claimed the officers in charge allegedly demanded money from Rulisa’s relatives and threatened that he would die in custody if they failed to comply.
The lawyer asserted that when it became clear that the detainee or his family would not pay, he was completely abandoned in detention, with no access to due process as stipulated in the constitution.
“For over six months, he was detained without trial, without the knowledge or authorisation of the IGP.”
However, luck came the detainee’s way when a fellow Nigerian detainee, after hearing Rulisa’s ordeal, took it upon himself to inform the police authorities.
“Upon the release of the Nigerian detainee, he wrote a petition to the IGP, exposing the illegal activities of the officers. The IGP, upon being notified, ordered the Special Investigation Unit, SIU, to retrieve the case file and commence an independent investigation.
“The SIU’s findings confirmed that Rulisa had been subjected to unlawful detention, gross human rights violations, and an attempted extortion scheme orchestrated by officers of the IGP Monitoring Unit.
“Realising that their misconduct had been uncovered, the officers of the police Monitoring Unit hastily filed baseless criminal charges against Rulisa, containing no proof of evidence except statements from the same officers who tortured him.
“This last-minute attempt to legitimise their abuse of power was simply a move to distract from their illegal activities and avoid consequences.
“In light of the undeniable facts, the illegal actions of the officers, and the blatant disregard for human rights, we are calling on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, to order a comprehensive and independent investigation into this case to ensure that justice is served.
“We are also calling on the Inspector General of Police to immediately identify, investigate, and discipline all officers involved in this illegal arrest, detention, and attempted extortion.
“Similarly, the Nigerian judiciary should ensure a fair and just trial, free from manipulation by the corrupt officers responsible for this violation.
“The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, and international human rights bodies should take appropriate action to hold the perpetrators accountable and prevent future occurrences.
“This case is a serious stain on Nigeria’s image and its commitment to justice, fairness, and the rule of law. It is even more concerning that a foreigner conducting legitimate business in Nigeria could be subjected to such treatment.
“If this can happen to a foreign investor, it raises serious concerns for the safety and security of other foreigners in Nigeria.
“We demand justice for Mr Rulisa and the prosecution of all officers involved in this human rights abuse,” the group said.