By Kazeem Waris
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has challenged Inspector-General of Police, Tunde Disu, to urgently intervene in the alleged prolonged detention of four men connected to the MT THOR vessel, demanding their immediate release if their continued incarceration is found to violate subsisting court orders.
The rights organisation also called for an independent investigation into the conduct of CSP Omar John Sini and other police officers allegedly involved in the controversial handling of the matter.
In a press statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, HURIWA urged the police chief to take a cue from the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, whose reported interventions in cases of wrongful arrest and detention have included the release of detainees and payment of compensation.
“The IGP should borrow a leaf from DSS Director-General Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi. Public confidence is earned not merely through arrests and prosecutions but also through the courage to correct injustice, respect the courts and protect the fundamental rights of every Nigerian,” HURIWA declared.
At the centre of the latest controversy are Ebor Eric Kessiena, John Atawo Lawrence, Godwin Okpaje and Mukaila Sarumi, who were reportedly arrested on December 15, 2025, following the interception of the MT THOR vessel at Koko, Warri, Delta State.
According to a petition dated October 26, 2026, submitted to the IGP by the detainees’ solicitors, P. O. Onucheyo, Esq., and S. D. Omẹde, Esq., the four men were carrying out dewatering operations in the vessel’s engine room to prevent flooding and possible sinking when they were arrested.
The lawyers reportedly maintained that the vessel was being towed under Marine Police escort to the Warri jetty and was within the custody and control of the Admiralty Marshal pursuant to proceedings before the Federal High Court.
They questioned the circumstances surrounding the interception, the arrests and the subsequent allegations of illegal petroleum dealings and crude oil theft against their clients.
HURIWA said the men had reportedly spent more than six months at the Okere Correctional Centre, Warri, under circumstances that require urgent investigation.
Of particular concern to the association is the petition’s reference to proceedings before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Daylop Pam, which reportedly issued an order for the arrest and production of CSP Omar John Sini in connection with fundamental rights issues raised by the detained men.
The petition also referenced Suit No. FHC/W/CS/65/2024, correspondence concerning the transfer of the matter to the appropriate investigative formation and questions surrounding a December 12 analysis attributed to CSP Sini.
HURIWA wants the IGP to obtain and examine certified court records, Marine Police documentation, vessel custody records and investigative reports to establish what actually transpired.
The organisation insisted that no police officer, regardless of rank, should treat judicial directives as optional.
“No police officer, irrespective of rank or position, should operate as though court orders are optional instructions,” the rights group stated.
It further called for an independent and transparent investigation into CSP Sini and any other officers implicated in the petition, stressing that the investigation should establish whether due process was followed and whether any officer acted contrary to lawful judicial directives.
HURIWA’s demand comes against the backdrop of what it described as corrective interventions by DSS Director-General Ajayi, including the release of four men arrested in Bayelsa State over alleged links to the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The four men — Emele Uduma Ibe, Berefgagha Appah, Ondokeyilemi Aggry and Oyeinmokebebeton Aggry — were arrested in May 2022 after reportedly being misled into believing they would receive monthly payments of N100,000 under the Federal Government’s Amnesty Programme.
Following investigations, Ajayi reportedly authorised their immediate release and approved N5 million compensation for each of them, bringing the total package to N20 million.
HURIWA also cited other reported DSS interventions, including more than N1 billion in compensation to persons cleared of allegations or affected by operational mistakes.
Among the cases highlighted were N20 million compensation and medical support for a Jos-based businessman mistakenly shot by DSS operatives; N10 million for Chineze Ozoadibe following her wrongful arrest; N10 million for Sunday Ifedi after investigations reportedly cleared him of alleged IPOB links; and N5 million for Kenneth Okechukwu Nwafor after he was similarly absolved.
The association said these interventions demonstrate that security agencies must be prepared to acknowledge mistakes and provide remedies where citizens suffer violations of their rights.
“National security responsibilities must not become an excuse for prolonged detention of innocent citizens or the denial of fundamental human rights,” HURIWA stressed.
The organisation maintained that its intervention was not intended to shield anyone from legitimate criminal investigation but to ensure that arrests, investigations and prosecutions comply with the Constitution and the rule of law.
It called on Disu to establish the legal basis for the continued detention of the four MT THOR suspects, investigate the alleged non-compliance with court directives and determine whether the vessel’s interception and subsequent police actions followed established procedures.
HURIWA warned that failure to address allegations of prolonged detention and disregard for judicial authority could further undermine public confidence in the Nigeria Police Force.
It urged the IGP not to allow the petition to gather dust in official files while the four men allegedly remain incarcerated.
“Security agencies cannot demand public trust while ignoring legitimate complaints of rights violations, prolonged detention and alleged disobedience of court orders,” the organisation said.
HURIWA added that the DSS interventions attributed to Ajayi show that national security and human rights protection are not mutually exclusive.
It said the MT THOR matter should become a test of the police leadership’s commitment to institutional accountability, respect for judicial authority and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights.
The association called for the immediate release of the four detainees if their continued detention is found to be unlawful, as well as appropriate disciplinary or legal action against any officer established to have breached the law.
