By CErCILIA OGEZI
An Abuja-based non-governmental organization (NGO), Almushahid Initiative for Transparency and Accountability (AITA), has lodged a formal complaint against Lt. Col. Madaki and Lt. Col. Audu of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (now C.M.I.) for the unlawful arrest, harassment, and continued detention of Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Bamayi Nicholas, who is attached to the Police Force Intelligence Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
AITA, committed to promoting transparency and accountability in Nigerian public institutions, submitted this complaint based on credible information provided by Mrs. Philomena Bameyi, the victim’s wife, referred to as the complainant.
The complainant revealed that on May 31, 2024, ASP Bamayi, currently serving in the Force Headquarters’ Intelligence Department, was unlawfully arrested by Lt. Col. Audu of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (D.M.I.), now C.M.I., at Kado Estate, Abuja. According to Mrs. Bameyi, the Nigerian Army arrested ASP Bamayi because of a Samsung Fold phone found in his possession, which had been given to him as collateral for a loan he provided to an individual named Destiny Harmony Awoh, also known as “Headman.”
Subsequent correspondence between the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Army confirmed that the phone was linked to a crime. However, it was established that ASP Bamayi was not complicit in or involved with the crime. Despite ASP Bamayi providing the necessary explanations and surrendering the suspect’s younger brother to the military, he remains unlawfully detained.
The petitioner stated that ASP Bamayi led the army to the suspect’s family home, where they recovered a phone belonging to the suspect’s wife. This could have provided a lawful basis for detaining the woman and using her as leverage to arrest the suspect, rather than unlawfully detaining ASP Bamayi, who is innocent of the crime committed by the suspect. The petitioner further disclosed that the suspect’s mistress was also arrested, which could have expedited the suspect’s capture and shortened ASP Bamayi’s detention.
The NGO has called for the immediate release of ASP Bamayi in the interest of justice and to prevent the violation of his fundamental rights. Given that ASP Bamayi can be easily accessed through his workplace if needed, AITA emphasized that his continued detention is unjustified. The organization further requested that ASP Bamayi be granted bail to reunite with his family, as his wife has fallen into a state of depression due to his prolonged detention.
In the process of negotiating ASP Bamayi’s release, AITA has received information indicating that the military is considering transferring him to the Department of State Services (DSS). AITA has urged the military to exercise due diligence for the sake of justice and to release ASP Bamayi, who has been described as an honest and hardworking officer of the Nigerian Police.
