The corps member reportedly exposed atrocities allegedly committed by three police officers in Anambra State.
The Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity, Tuesday, demanded the release of Nnamdi Emeh, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) arrested for allegedly committing various offences in Anambra State.
Background
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the police in the state had, in February, declared Mr Emeh wanted for unlawful possession of firearms and money laundering.
The 26-year-old corps member, who was undergoing his mandatory national service at the state police command, was also accused of fraud, impersonation and defamation of character.
The police, however, did not provide details of when and how the corps member allegedly committed the offences.
Tochukwu Ikenga, the spokesperson of the police in the state, only said the corps member was "positively identified/mentioned" in an ongoing investigation by the police in Anambra State.
Mr Emeh was later arrested in Benin Republic, a French-speaking West African country, on 3 March.
The arrest of the corps member followed a joint operation by police operatives from Benin Republic and Nigeria.
His arrest after being declared wanted by the police came days after three high-ranking police officers serving in Anambra State were accused of various criminal activities in the state.
A Nigerian news blog, Gistlover, had published a report accusing the officers of engaging in illegal arrest, torture, extortion and extra-judicial killings of their victims.
The blog, which reportedly gathered the information from Mr Emeh, claimed that the officers "illegally" arrested their victims, labelled them as "unknown gunmen" and then torture them to accept the labelling before killing them and taking possession of their vehicles and other valuables.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali (IGP) would later order an investigation into the "weighty allegations" against the officers.
Group reacts
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Civil Society Coalition Against Impunity coalition, which comprises about 29 civil society organisations, asked the police authorities to immediately release the corps member or charge him to court, if he was found culpable of any crime.
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The group claimed that Mr Emeh, an information technology consultant to the police in the state, was arrested in Benin Republic because he acted as a "whistle blower" who revealed details of the offences allegedly committed by the officers in the state.
"Emeh was transferred to the Anambra State Police Command where is currently facing interrogation. Among his interrogators in Anambra State are senior police officers whom he had indicted for seizing posh vehicles recovered from criminal suspects who were later executed in police custody," the group said.
It said the fact that the officers who were indicted by Mr Emeh in his revelations were among his interrogators "offends the principle of natural justice, which espouses that one should not be a judge" in his own case.
"We believe that Emeh Nnamdi faces the risk of ill-treatment or extrajudicial execution if he is not released or charged to court immediately.
"We believe that whistleblowers are vital for transparent society. They are essential to awakening informed debate within public opinion, crucial to opening up investigations by journalists and necessary for questioning decision-makers," it added.
The group called on the police to ensure that a report of the panel set up by the IGP to investigate the allegations against the three officers in the state was released promptly and those indicted properly prosecuted according to the law.
It also urged the police authorities to stop alleged intimidation, harassment and attacks against Mr Emeh, his family and friends.
