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Public interest and human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has formally petitioned the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, urging swift action against a group of Army personnel allegedly involved in the assault of a police officer, ASP Edet Inyang.
The incident, as reported by Effiong on Thursday night via his social media handle, occurred on December 9, 2023, at a store near the Nigerian Army’s 63 Brigade in Asaba, Delta State. Inyang, a serving police officer, was reportedly assaulted when purchasing personal items.
Effiong, in his statement titled “How Nigerian Army Personnel Tortured and Brutalised Serving Police Officer ASP Edet Inwang Till He Lost Consciousness Over Alleged Wrong Parking,” provided video and photo evidence of Inyang's ordeal. The lawyer called on the Chief of Army Staff to ensure a thorough investigation and subsequent punishment for the perpetrators.
President Bola Tinubu had recently cautioned the Nigerian Army against retaliatory assaults on the police or civilians. Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, a former Director of Army Public Relations, emphasized the Army's zero-tolerance policy towards human rights abuses, stating, “We have told you times without number that the Army has zero tolerance for human rights abuses by any of our personnel or group of personnel, as the case may be.”
Effiong emphasized that the soldiers' actions violated the fundamental human rights of ASP Inyang, who is currently receiving medical attention. The lawyer urged Lt. Gen. Lagbaja to urgently address the matter and ensure justice for Inyang.
