RULAAC Demands Answers as Police Stay Silent on Organ Harvesting Allegations

The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre Okechukwu Nwanguma

By Kenechukwu Ofomah

The Executive Director of the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Okechukwu Nwanguma, has raised serious concerns over the continued silence of Nigeria Police Force regarding allegations of organ harvesting made against some of its operatives in Anambra State.

Nwanguma noted that it has been over two years since a whistleblower, Nnamdi Emeh a 26-year-old National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and IT consultant to the Anambra State Rapid Response Squad (RRS) made shocking allegations implicating certain police officers in organ trafficking and extrajudicial killings.

Yet, those officers continue to walk free, and the whistleblower remains in detention.

He questioned why the police investigative report, which was reportedly completed and submitted, has remained shrouded in secrecy, emphasizing that the public deserves to know the truth if the investigation was indeed thorough and impartial.

“The police have maintained a conspicuous silence on this matter, while the whistleblower continues to languish in detention,” Nwanguma said.

Emeh, who had close working ties with the police unit, exposed grave allegations of extrajudicial killings, organ harvesting, and extortion allegedly perpetrated by senior officers in Anambra State.

Despite a Federal High Court order mandating his release, he remains behind bars while those he accused face no disciplinary action and have not been charged.

It should be recalled that, under mounting public pressure in 2023, the Nigeria Police Force constituted a panel to investigate these grave allegations. However, despite promises to make the panel’s findings public, the police have since reneged.

According to Nwanguma, the police’s silence could be interpreted as complicity.

He further revealed that the failure to secure Emeh’s release is not solely the fault of the police.

According to him, the Deputy Court Registrar of the Federal High Court in Awka has been implicated in actively obstructing the enforcement of the court’s order.

“Sources say he has acted as a willing tool in the hands of the police, undermining the authority of the court and betraying the very institution he serves. This cannot be swept under the carpet,” he said.

Nwanguma called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to urgently investigate and discipline any judicial officer found to be colluding with law enforcement to subvert justice.

“Judicial officers are not above the law they are sworn to uphold it,” he stated.

The RULAAC Director called on the NJC, civil society groups, the media, the National Assembly, and international partners to activate all available mechanisms for accountability.

He lamented that the Nigerian public has witnessed unchecked institutional decay simply because the appropriate levers were not pulled.

“While the police pretend to investigate, whistleblowers like Nnamdi Emeh are punished. After being declared wanted on vague charges and arrested, he was detained without trial for weeks and continues to be denied fair judicial treatment.

“To date, the officers he accused have neither been suspended nor prosecuted. The investigative panel submitted its report long ago, yet the findings remain hidden. Instead, the whistleblower is the one paying the price for exposing what appears to be a death squad operating under state cover.”

“This is not merely an internal disciplinary matter for the police. It is a litmus test for the Nigerian justice system, civil society, and democratic accountability,”

“The demand is simple: release Nnamdi Emeh in accordance with the court order. Prosecute any officers found culpable. Make the investigation report public. And discipline any judicial officer who is helping to obstruct justice.

“The Nigerian Police cannot continue to operate as a state within a state. The culture of extrajudicial killings, organ harvesting, illegal detention, and extortion—enabled by silence from above—must end. The authorities are aware of these practices. They’ve received numerous petitions. But because they benefit from the rot, they do nothing.“But we will not be silent.” he said.