Lawyers petition Buhari over Commander of Navy Special Forces in Kogi State

Chief of Naval Staff, the lawyers urged Buhari to direct that Commander Akalezi be arrested and brought to justice for all his genocidal acts.

‘’Commander Akalezi was reposted from NNS Kano, Lagos state to NNS Lugard in Kogi state on the 9th of January 2023 by the Chief of Naval Staff and that no form of disciplinary action was taken against him neither were our clients reached out to in furtherance of any investigation to their petition before the Naval Command. Also, the return of Commander Akalezi to Kogi was influenced by the Governor to have him continue his reign of terror on the people of Kogi Central during this critical yet vulnerable political season in a bid to frighten and scare the people from willfully exercising their civic responsibilities as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended’’.

In a letter to President Buhari, the lawyers said the Nigerian Navy under the current Chief of Naval Staff had derailed from constitutional roles and delved into the murky waters of politics in Kogi State.

‘’It is very shameful that the Chief of Naval Staff is allowing the Men and Officers of the Nigerian Navy to be the personal attack dogs/ killer squad used by the Government of Kogi State to eliminate its perceived political enemies’’

They accused the Chief of Naval Staff of shielding Commander Uchendu Nicholas Akalezi from the long arms of the law.

‘’It is our brief that since the return of Commander Akalezi back to Kogi State, he has boasted of Gov. Yahaya Bello’s support and financial influence over the Naval Chief making him untouchable and unanswerable to any petition. In view of reinstating fear in the indigenes and political opponents of the Kogi State governor/ Commander Akalezi with his team recently abducted one Ahmed whose whereabouts is still unknown’’.

no just cause’’.

Signed by Shedrack M. Demaki Esq, the lawyers recalled several petitions written to the Chief of Naval Staff by the families of those killed by Commander Akalezi.

‘’Mr. President, dishearteningly, we notify you that that several petitions have been written to the Chief of Naval Staff by the families of those killed by Commander Akalezi using various human rights organizations and law firms. Nothing has been done by the Chief of Naval Staff to bring the perpetrator to justice. We wish to state that we are in receipt of the acknowledged copies of these petitions written to the Chief of Naval Staff which he has failed to act on’’.

The legal practitioners urged the president to order the arrest of Akalezi  

‘We humbly urge you that Commander Akalezi be arrested and brought to justice. We further wish to State that the representatives of the above listed victims are willing to come forward to testify to all the atrocities that have been and are still being committed by Commander Akalezi’’.