The Committee For Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), has decried the decision of the Magistrate Court in Asaba to discontinue the case of malicious damage, attempted murder and conduct likely to breach public peace brought before it by a complaint following a purported fake withdrawal letter by faceless police counsel, describing it as perversion of justice.

The body has therefore urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, to as a matter of justice and public interest, order re-opening of the case with suit number; CMA/334c/2024, before Asaba Magistrate court, noting that anything contrary could be misinterpreted as police conspiracy to deny a law abiding citizen justice in the hand of his oppressors.

It would be recalled that following the invasion of a property at Issele-Azagba, behind Wichtech Roofing Company in Oshimili North Council area, Delta state, by some armed gunmen and police attached to some notable land grabbers in the community and the destruction of property worth about N200m and a police orderly shot on the leg, the complaint, one Godwin Ikechukwu, had approached the court seeking justice.

The incident which happened on July 23, 2024, saw the victim, formally lodging his complaint to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Okpanam Division, Asaba, who in turn briefed the Command who later instituted the matter at the Magistrate court for adjudication.

The matter was still ongoing when unauthorized police sources from Abuja, acting without the consent of the complaint tendered letter of discontinuation before the court, leading to the abrupt termination of the case, raising suspicions that the police had compromised by taken side with an interested party in the matter.

However reacting to this issue in a statement made available to newsmen in Warri, yesterday, the national President, Committee for Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) Comrade (Dr) Kehinde Prince Taiga, described the police decision to discontinue the case without consulting with the complaint as absurd, ridiculous and illogical in every aspect as far as the justice system in Nigeria is concerned.

He stated that the appropriate thing for the police to have done in this circumstance was to have allowed the trial to its logical conclusion and allow the law takes its course on the perpetrators of the dastardly act, adding that this is the only way the court can give hope of justice to the common man in the society.

According to him, “At a time like this where the judiciary seems to standing trial for dispensing cash and carry justice to favour only the rich in the society, where the common man seems to have lost hope in the judicial system, one would have expected that the police would allow the court to see this matter through to the end so it can redeem its batard public image”.

“This singular act by the police to have discontinued the case without carrying the complaint along has once again demonstrated that some bad eggs in the police force would stop at nothing to continue to give the police a bad name all because of the money they have been compromised with by some wealthy people with questionable character in the society”.

“Consequently, we are calling on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun, to urgently reverse the decision by the police to discontinue the case with suit number; CMA/334c/2024, at the Asaba Magistrate court filed on behalf of the Complaint, one Godwin Ikechukwu against the defendants which includes; one Adokwe Peter Nonso (M) and Madu Obinna (M) and others.

We also appeal to the IGP Egbetokun, to bring to justice the team of Counsels from the Force Headquarters, Abuja, who concocted the letter of Discontinuation of the case without bring the complaint into consideration before taking the decision.

The body noted that the letter of Discontinuance dated April 22, 2025, signed by Rotshang Faith Dimka, the legal counsel/Prosecutor, Legal/Prosecution Section, FCID, Force Headquarters, Abuja, with phone number; 08037825825, may have been concocted and urged that it be investigated.

If found to be fake, we called the prosecution of those involved as this would serve as deterrent to officers who easily compromise the course of justice for their personal gains”, itconcluded