‘He Was A Devil In Uniform’: Human Rights Lawyer Accuses Late Akwa Ibom Anti-Robbery Chief Of Brutality, Rights Violations

Ikeja, Lagos State– Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has condemned the late CSP Ekene Nwosu, the former Officer-in-Charge of the Anti-Robbery Squad at the Akwa Ibom State Police Command, describing him as a “murderous and callous policeman” who subjected countless civilians to dehumanising abuse.

In a detailed statement following Nwosu’s reported death, Effiong accused the former senior police officer of embodying the worst of Nigeria’s security forces, operating with impunity, and violating the rights of innocent citizens under the guise of fighting crime.

“The Ekene Nwosu that I knew, and had occasions to confront, was a devil, a despicable human being,” Effiong said.

“He subjected innocent people in Akwa Ibom to the most barbaric forms of dehumanisation.”

Effiong alleged that Nwosu was routinely deployed by politicians to carry out politically motivated attacks, describing him as a “mercenary for oppressive and corrupt politicians” who weaponised state power to silence dissent.

He said Nwosu’s disregard for human rights extended to contempt for the judiciary and open hostility towards legal practitioners.

“He had no respect for lawyers, no regard for human rights, and held the judiciary in contempt,” Effiong noted, citing several court rulings in which Nwosu was found culpable of rights violations in cases handled by his law firm in Uyo.

The activist lawyer lamented that despite numerous complaints and court findings against Nwosu, successive Commissioners of Police failed to rein him in, enabling his reign of terror for years.

“The fact that such a despicable person was allowed to continue in service speaks to the rot in the Police,” he said.

Reacting to public reaction over Nwosu’s death, Effiong acknowledged that while some people were mourning the officer, many others were openly celebrating his demise.

“Those who are against the celebration of his death are entitled to their opinions,” he said.

“But those who remember him for his many evil deeds are within their right.”

Effiong also disclosed that Nwosu was transferred to Ekiti State by the last Akwa Ibom Commissioner of Police before his death, and that he had reportedly celebrated the death of that commissioner — an act Effiong described as symbolic of the officer’s moral bankruptcy.

The lawyer warned other law enforcement officers with similar records: “Other rogues in uniform should realise that they will die one day. It is true that every mortal will taste death, but we should always reflect on what we will be remembered for.”