PRESS STATEMENT
3rd September 2025.
CEHRAWS CALLS FOR DISCIPLINARY AND CRIMINAL ACTION AGAINST POLICE OFFICER CHIEMELA MARTINS A.K.A. “SHAGGY” AND COMPLICIT SUPERIORS AT ISIALA NGWA AREA COMMAND
The Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society (CEHRAWS) joins concerned citizens in raising alarm over credible allegations of grave professional misconduct and outright criminality leveled against one Police Officer Chiemela Martins (popularly known as “Shaggy”) serving under the Isiala Ngwa Area Command of the Abia State Police Command.
The allegations, if substantiated, border not only on breach of professional ethics but also on violation of extant laws, including:
✓ Unlawful conversion and misappropriation of police exhibits, in contravention of Section 15(5) of the 1999 Constitution which mandates all authorities to abolish corrupt practices;
✓ Improper removal of a female suspect from custody, constituting abuse of authority contrary to Section 24(a) of the Nigeria Police Act, 2020, which requires officers to act with integrity and respect for human rights;
✓ Collection of bribes to obstruct arraignment of suspects, an act that squarely falls within the offence of corruption prohibited under the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000;
✓ Unauthorized withdrawal of money from a suspect’s bank account, amounting to theft and economic crime under both the Criminal Code Act and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004.
CEHRAWS finds it particularly troubling that the 2i/c to the Area Commander, despite being aware of these alleged infractions, failed to act, thereby violating the chain-of-command responsibility enshrined under Section 6(2) of the Police Act, 2020, which imposes accountability for subordinates’ conduct.
The Nigeria Police Force is constitutionally empowered under Section 4 of the Police Act, 2020 to protect lives and property, prevent crimes, and uphold justice. When officers turn their uniforms into instruments of exploitation and oppression, they betray both their oath of office and the citizens they are meant to serve.
CEHRAWS therefore demands the immediate intervention of the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, to:
1. Take over investigation of these allegations and ensure transparency in the process;
2. Subject Officer Chiemela Martins to disciplinary and, where appropriate, criminal prosecution; and
3. Investigate the command hierarchy, particularly the alleged silence of the 2i/c, for complicity and dereliction of duty.
The fight against corruption within the police must be consistent with the spirit of Section 34 of the Constitution, which guarantees the dignity of every Nigerian, and the Police Act, 2020, which emphasizes accountability, integrity, and service to the people.
Today it is a suspect; tomorrow it could be an ordinary citizen victimized by criminality in uniform. CEHRAWS reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that justice, accountability, and rule of law are never compromised in Nigeria’s policing system.
Signed:
Okoye Chuka Peter
Executive Director, CEHRAWS
cehraws@gmail.com | +234(0)803-552-9865.
