Breaking News: Inspector General's Intelligence Response Team Accused of Human Rights Violations and Torture

The Intelligence Response Team (IRT) of Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, faces serious allegations of human rights violations and torture, according to a petition sent to Amnesty International.

The petition reveals that the IRT has been indicted following the disappearance of gold worth over N700 million from the IGP’s apartment. The stolen gold allegedly belonged to the Principal Staff Officer 3 to the Inspector General of Police and was taken in the first week of May 2024.

Several individuals, including Alhaji Aminu Sarkin Zabarmawan Kebbi and his two shop attendants, Alhaji Musa Aliyu, Alhaji Nuhu Usman, Anas Aminu, Yahaya (a tailor from Rigasa), and several PoS operators, have been arrested and are currently detained by the IRT.

The petition states that the stolen gold ended up at Wuse Market and was purchased by a man identified as Alhaji Auwal, who is now at large. It further alleges that the IRT, acting under direct orders from the IGP, has subjected detainees to severe and inhumane treatment, including beatings, hanging, and extortion under the guise of recovering the stolen gold.

One of the most egregious violations highlighted in the petition involves Alhaji Aminu Sarkin Zabarmawan Kebbi, whose shop attendants bought gold worth N3 million. Kebbi was handcuffed, and his shop, containing gold valued at over N100 million, was raided by the IRT. He and his attendants remain in detention.

Another victim, Nuhu Usman, a gold attendant at Wuse Market, was arrested and coerced into paying N11 million for gold he had purchased for N6 million. His bank statement from Taj Bank was also forcefully obtained, and N13 million was withdrawn without his consent.

Additionally, a tailor from Rigasa, Kaduna, known to Alhaji Auwal, was reportedly beaten into a coma at the IRT office in Abuja and remains detained.

The petition raises critical questions about the ownership of the stolen gold, querying whether it belonged to the IGP, his wife, or PSO 3 (Buky). It names members of the IRT involved in the investigation as Mashood, Femi, Joe (Piyapiya), Femi, Habila, and Abdul.

The ongoing human rights abuses and arbitrary detentions of members of the Gold Dealers Association in Wuse Market under the pretense of recovering stolen gold from the IGP's residence are of grave concern. The petition calls for immediate action and transparency regarding the true ownership of the stolen gold.