Residents of Aba in Abia state have made disturbing reports on rampant abuse by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Aba North.
Multiple victims alleged how they were unlawfully arrested, detained without due process, and extorted under threats and violence.
One victim, who shared his experience after release on Sunday May 18 detailed a harrowing ordeal.
He said he was randomly arrested, accused of filming the squad’s operations, and held without access to legal representation or family.
“They arrested me for allegedly recording their operations-where they stop people on bikes, seize phones from passersby, and demand ₦50,000. If you refuse, they take you to the station and demand ₦300,000 or more,” he recounted.
According to the victim, the officers boasted that they report directly to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), claiming immunity from oversight-even the Abia State Commissioner of Police can’t question them.
“I was beaten for refusing to unlock my phone.
Officer Dan, the 2YC leading the team, assaulted me in his office. He said I could report to human rights organizations, but nothing would happen.
Abia Not Lagos?
Also, he told me Aba is not Lagos, and threatened to kill me. He said, ‘I’ll keep you in the cell until Tuesday and no one will know! He did-five hours passed before my family found out where I was, thanks to witnesses who saw the arrest and called my family.
In addition, the victim was reportedly denied water, phone calls, and access to legal help at the RRS station, located within the Aba North Local Government Secretariat.
Officer Dan allegedly threatened to secure a court order to unlock and delete any footage from his phone without his consent. He was detained without being profiled or asked to write a statement.
Furthermore, he revealed that over 25 youths were being held at the same RRS facility, some for weeks or months, without trial or family contacts, without statements or profiling-raising fears that many reported missing persons in Abia may actually be in secret police custody.
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“Some detainees said they were asked to pay between ₦30,000 and ₦1.5 million to be released. If you don’t pay, they label you a ‘Yahoo boy’.
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