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Abuja Estate Residents Accuse Police DSP of Terror Campaign; Journalist Targeted Amidst Allegations of Police Inaction
By Our Correspondent
Residents of Oduah Estate in Abuja say they are living in a state of fear and uncertainty, alleging a campaign of terror, intimidation, and death threats orchestrated by a serving police officer identified as DSP Jeffery Ugochukwu. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
According to a series of “Save Our Souls” (SOS) petitions, the officer, whose current posting within the Nigeria Police Force remains unknown, has allegedly leveraged his position to act with impunity, endangering the lives of dozens of families, including children, nursing mothers, and a then pregnant woman.
The tenants, fearing that the threats, some of which were reportedly captured on video, could lead to an avoidable loss of lives, have escalated their complaints from the Inspector-General of Police and the Force Provost Marshal to the Police Service Commission (PSC), demanding urgent disciplinary action to avert what they warn could become a tragedy.
In a petition dated August 13, 2025, the Citizens Rights and Empowerment Advocacy Initiative (CREMA Initiative) described DSP Ugochukwu as “a threat to the lives of his co-tenants, who consistently constitutes a nuisance and lives above the law simply because he is a police officer.” The human rights group warned that the situation was deteriorating rapidly and “could lead to tragedy if immediate action is not taken.”
This followed an earlier joint complaint by tenants to the Force Provost Department in June 2025, which alleged criminal intimidation, physical assault, destruction of property, and the brandishing of a service pistol in an attempt to shoot at residents.
Residents claimed in one petition that the harassment worsened when the officer began spraying a tear-gas-like substance through the ceiling, causing choking, breathing difficulties, and eye irritation. This act allegedly forced entire families, including children, to flee their rooms gasping for air.
CREMA Initiative’s petition affirmed that this act “is currently endangering the lives of a pregnant woman, children, breastfeeding babies, and other vulnerable occupants.”
Tenants also accused the officer of playing extremely loud music late into the night, depriving neighbours of sleep and aggravating health conditions such as hypertension. One family reportedly fled the estate entirely after repeated threats.
The petitions further detail deliberate acts of vandalism and sabotage. On June 15 and 17, 2025, after his flat was disconnected by the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), DSP Ugochukwu allegedly cut the main electric line, plunging nine other flats into darkness.
He was also accused of destroying estate water pipes on multiple occasions and, on September 13, 2025, pouring palm oil across a shared lobby and damaging a neighbour’s window net.
More chilling, residents recount repeated threats of lethal violence. In a petition dated September 29, 2025, the “Concerned Tenants” recounted how the officer allegedly declared, “You should continue; very soon I will get my rifle and fire everybody.” The next day, he reportedly emerged with a jackknife, threatening to kill any tenant who knocked on his door, an incident said to have been captured on video. Another petition claimed he once boasted that if provoked, he would “use his rifle to fire at the person and then turn it on himself — and the matter would be closed.”
Tenants further alleged that he had brandished a pistol at the estate caretaker, Mr. Ibe Uzoma, physically assaulted him, and refused to pay motorcycle operators for services rendered within the estate.
Despite these several oral and written complaints, residents insist that no meaningful action has been taken by the police authorities. Mr. Uzoma confirmed that reports were made to the Karu Area Command, which visited the scene but took no further action before tenants filed a formal petition on September 29, 2025.
When officers from the Nyanya Police Division’s Surveillance Unit reportedly attempted to invite the DSP for questioning on September 13, “he bluntly refused to open his door each time.” Tenants now fear the situation has spiralled beyond the control of divisional leadership.
Frustrated by the continued inaction, the tenants retained the Trio Jurist Law Firm, which has petitioned the Chairman of the Police Service Commission. The firm wrote, “It is now an obvious fact that the Nigeria Police Force, knowing the state of DSP Ugochukwu, is intentionally protecting one of theirs at the risk of the lives of our clients.”
They warned that the continued protection of the officer could “escalate into a full breach of peace should our clients resort to self-help.”
The situation escalated further in the early hours of Thursday, October 16, 2025, when residents alleged that DSP Ugochukwu was seen armed with a jackknife, knocking on several doors.
This was described as an apparent attempt to identify the apartment of Comrade James Ezema, a journalist who serves as the National Vice President (Investigation) of the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) and National President of the Association of Bloggers and Journalists Against Fake News (ABJFN).
Later that evening, witnesses said the officer was seen again, still knocking on the door of another tenant whose wife had just put to bed, allegedly in a continued search for the journalist. He reportedly left with the electricity meter serving two flats.
Comrade Ezema, who is also the Director of Operations at CREMA Initiative, said in a statement on Sunday that he remains in shock. “I was dumbfounded because there has been no personal issue with him to warrant his manhunt for me,” he stated.
“Nigerians should hold DSP Jeffery Ugochukwu and the Nigeria Police Force responsible if anything happens to me, my loved ones, or any tenant. Right now, I cannot move around alone and freely for fear of my life and safety.”
Ezema added, “It’s shameful that the Nigeria Police Force has sunk so low that allegations of threats to life are treated with levity. I don’t want to be another Mohbad, who petitioned the police but no action was taken until his mysterious death. We don’t need to wait for tragedy before action is taken. No one’s life should be endangered because an officer claims to have a DIG as his godfather.”
He further appealed to the alleged senior officer, stating, “We are appealing to the DIG whom he claims to be his godfather not to back criminality and lawlessness at the expense of citizens’ lives.”
According to Ezema, when one of the petitions to the Inspector-General of Police got to the Police Complaint Response Unit (CRU) at the Force Headquarters, officials, after two follow-up visits by the tenants and the landlord, “bluntly told the landlord and some tenants that the policeman cannot be traced and there is nothing they can do.” He lamented that when asked, “If he’s an unknown police officer, isn’t that the main reason to act — if it’s an act of impersonation? Still, they said nothing and did nothing till today.”
In an urgent message on Saturday morning, October 18, 2025, to the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, with a copy sent to the FCT PPRO, SP Josephine Adeh, Comrade Ezema wrote that he was urgently requesting immediate intervention. He identified the individual as DSP Jeffrey Ugochukwu, “said to be deployed to your office,” and detailed the failure of previous petitions.
He highlighted the October 16 incident involving the jackknife and meter vandalism, the intimidation in the 27-flat mini-estate, and the officer’s boast of having a DIG as a godfather.
He respectfully but urgently requested that the FPRO’s office order the officer’s immediate removal and suspension from civilian contact pending investigation, provide urgent protection for himself and other endangered tenants, and conduct an impartial investigation into the officer’s conduct and the police’s failure to act, making the appeal “not to impede legitimate policing but to prevent an avoidable tragedy.”
Residents say they now live in constant fear, sleeping in shifts and keeping watch over their families at night. While awaiting a formal response from the PSC, they have begun appealing to other security agencies for protection, lamenting that “it has become clear that police authorities have refused to act.”
One resident said, “All we are asking for is safety. We just want to live without fear in our own homes.”
According to the journalist’s statement, the FCT PPRO, SP Josephine Adeh, responded when a video of the police officer threatening residents while armed with a jackknife was sent to her, stating, “Noted I have even started acting on it too.”
The complainants have subsequently been invited by the FCT Command’s Police Complaints Response Unit and are scheduled to be there at 10 am on Monday.
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NGIJ Demands Independent Probe of Controversial PFIPC, Rejects Premature Exoneration
NGIJ Demands Independent Probe of Controversial PFIPC, Rejects Premature ExonerationThe Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists (NGIJ) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately constitute an independent panel of inquiry to investigate the unfolding scandal surrounding the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), insisting that the gravity of the allegations and the institutions reportedly involved make an ordinary investigation inadequate.
In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Mallam Abdulrahman Aliagan, and National Secretary, Rowland Olonishuwa, the Guild faulted the Presidency’s swift public exoneration of the Chief of Staff to the President by the President’s spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, describing it as premature and inconsistent with the principles of natural justice.
According to the Guild, declaring any public official innocent before the conclusion of an impartial investigation undermines public confidence in the process and creates the impression that the outcome has already been predetermined.
“The hasty exoneration of any public official before a comprehensive investigation has been concluded negates the principles of justice, fairness and good conscience.
Every Nigerian deserves to see that justice is not only done but is manifestly seen to have been done,” the statement said.
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The Guild argued that several developments associated with the Council have raised serious questions that cannot be ignored.
According to the statement, available information indicates that an account was reportedly opened for the Council at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the controversial PFIPC was reportedly captured in the 2026 Appropriation Bill presented to the National Assembly, office accommodation was allocated to the Council within the Federal Secretariat Complex in Abuja, and more than 300 personnel, including eight directors, were reportedly recruited or sourced to work for the Council.
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“The establishment of banking arrangements, budgetary provisions, office allocation, recruitment of hundreds of personnel and appointment of directors are not processes ordinarily executed without official authorisation and institutional support. These issues raise legitimate public interest questions that deserve thorough and independent scrutiny,” the Guild stated.
It added that the scale of the allegations has created widespread public concern and, if left unresolved, could erode confidence in Nigeria’s governance institutions and anti-corruption framework.
The Guild expressed reservations over allowing the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to solely investigate the matter, arguing that given the alleged involvement of powerful figures and the institutional implications of the case, a broader and more independent mechanism would inspire greater public confidence.
According to NGIJ, the investigation should be handled by an independent judicial panel comprising retired judicial officers, forensic auditors, representatives of relevant anti-corruption institutions, professional bodies and civil society organisations, with full powers to examine documents, invite witnesses and recommend appropriate actions based on its findings.
The Guild further urged the National Assembly to commence a public legislative inquiry into the establishment, funding, operations and legal status of the controversial Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council.
It maintained that no public official, irrespective of rank or political influence, should be insulated from investigation where credible allegations exist.
NGIJ stressed that the circumstances surrounding the controversial PFIPC have made the matter unprecedented and deserving of the highest level of independent scrutiny.
The Guild said only a transparent, credible and independent investigation can establish the true facts, identify any wrongdoing where it exists, protect innocent persons where appropriate, and restore public confidence in the administration’s commitment to accountability, transparency and the rule of law.
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The certification is expected to support trust among customers, healthcare professionals, distributors, and institutional partners, while strengthening MeCure’s positioning in markets where Halal-compliant products are an important consideration.
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As MeCure enters the second half of 2026, the company said it remains focused on deepening local manufacturing, improving access to quality medicines, expanding its product pipeline, and delivering sustainable value to shareholders.
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Family Seeks Information on Missing Sergeant After Reported Drowning Incident at Seme Border
Family Seeks Information on Missing Sergeant After Reported Drowning Incident at Seme Borde
By Usman Aliyu | June 27, 2026
Ajaka, Kogi State — The family of Sgt. Benjamin Etuh, a native of Ajaka in Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi State, has appealed to the public for information regarding his whereabouts following reports that he may have been involved in a drowning incident at the Seme Border area of Lagos State.
According to information available to the family, Sgt. Etuh, who was last known to be serving at the Seme Border Patrol, was reportedly involved in an incident on the water around the border community. However, relatives say they have not received any official confirmation regarding his condition or whereabouts.
The uncertainty surrounding the incident has left family members distressed and searching for answers. Efforts to contact the officer through his mobile phone numbers have also proved unsuccessful, as the lines have reportedly remained unreachable for several days.
Family sources expressed concern over the lack of verified information and appealed to the relevant authorities to provide clarity on the officer’s status. They also called on security agencies, colleagues, residents of the Seme Border area, and members of the public with any useful information to come forward.
Efforts by reporters to obtain official confirmation from the Ikeja Command were unsuccessful, as no response had been received at the time of filing this report.
As of the time of publication, there has been no official statement confirming Sgt. Benjamin Etuh’s whereabouts or condition. The family continues to appeal for credible information that may help establish the facts surrounding the incident.
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