A human rights organization, the Initiative Against Human Rights Abuse and Torture (INAHURAT), has urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to investigate the alleged unlawful arrest and prolonged detention of a Rwandan businessman, Benjamin Rulisa, by officers of the Nigerian Police Force.
In a statement on Friday, INAHURAT’s Director of Legal Affairs, Maxwell Opara, called for a thorough probe and disciplinary action against those responsible. He also appealed to the Nigerian President, the judiciary, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and international human rights organizations to intervene in the case to ensure justice is served.
According to Opara, Rulisa, a honey trader, traveled to Nigeria in March 2023 after being invited for a business engagement. However, while staying at his hotel, he was allegedly arrested and taken into custody by officers from the IGP Monitoring Unit and the Intelligence Response Team (IRT). He claimed that Rulisa was detained for six months under harsh conditions without formal charges or evidence of wrongdoing.
The lawyer further alleged that a fellow detainee, after learning about Rulisa’s ordeal, alerted authorities, leading to his eventual release. Following this, Rulisa reportedly petitioned the IGP, prompting the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) to review the case. The SIU’s findings allegedly confirmed the businessman’s unlawful detention.
Opara also accused the implicated officers of fabricating criminal charges against Rulisa in a bid to cover up their actions, relying only on statements from the same officers involved in his alleged mistreatment.
He reiterated INAHURAT’s demand for accountability, urging authorities to prevent future violations of human rights and ensure that law enforcement officers uphold justice rather than abuse their powers.
