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Daniel Adaji
Sterling Law Centre has petitioned the Police Service Commission (PSC), demanding immediate disciplinary and criminal action against three officers of the Nigeria Police Force over the extrajudicial killing of Mr. Dumsira Leera, a peace advocate from Rivers State.
The petition dated May 19, 2025, was signed by SLC’s principal counsel, ‘Deji Adejare.
The letter addressed to the PSC Chairman, the law firm described the killing of Mr. Leera as “unlawful, barbaric and a clear case of abuse of office,” naming Assistant Superintendent of Police David Ameh Agbo, Superintendent Martins Samuel, and Deputy Superintendent Essien E. Edet of the Inspector-General’s Intelligence Response Team (IGP-IRT) as responsible for his abduction, extortion, unlawful detention, and eventual death.
“Our client is Mr. Confidence N. Leera, the brother of the late Dumsira Edward Leera, on whose behalf we write to passionately appeal to the Commission. We urge the PSC to take immediate and decisive disciplinary and prosecutorial action against the officers involved,” the petition stated.
According to the petition, Leera was part of a peace mission led by the Chairman of Kana LGA, Neeberi Gbarane, following cult-related violence in the area. As part of the efforts to broker peace, Leera was given N120,000 to engage with the leadership of the “Dey Well” cult.
It added that on July 30, 2019, while returning from one such peace meeting, their convoy—which included the Chairman, security aides, and other council officials—was intercepted by the IGP-IRT, led by ASP David Agbo, and taken from Rivers State to Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
SLC said although others were released, Leera was detained for 17 days and only freed after the payment of N1.5m to the officers.
ASP Agbo allegedly continued to harass the family for more money, demanding N3m and threatening to re-arrest Leera. Eventually, Leera was re-arrested on November 1, 2019. While in custody and denied access to his family or lawyers, debit alerts were noticed on his bank account. ASP Agbo was also reportedly seen driving Leera’s car in Port Harcourt.
Despite securing a court judgment on January 6, 2020, ordering his release in a fundamental rights suit, the lawyer stated that the police refused to appear in court during the hearing and ignored the judgment afterwards.
The petition stated, “The police failed or refused to appear in court throughout the hearing of the suit. Despite service of the judgment, they refused to release Dumsira.”
The law firm added that numerous petitions to the Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Inspector General, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and the Police Complaints Response Unit were filed, but none brought justice. At one point, CRU investigators reportedly faced threats from the officers they were investigating—a fact confirmed in a Twitter post by then-CRU head, DCP Markus Ishaku.
It further noted that the family was informed that a criminal charge had been filed against Leera, though court records showed he was never arraigned. The case was eventually struck out on August 4, 2020.
The lawyers noted that the alleged offence occurred before Leera’s arrest and that his name was not mentioned in any official report from the time.
During proceedings at the NHRC panel set up after the #EndSARS protests, ASP Agbo told the panel that Leera had died during an operation on July 20, 2020. No reason was given for why Leera was taken on such an operation, where his body was taken, or why his family was never informed of his death.
Although the NHRC panel ruled in favour of the family—awarding N10m to Leera’s widow and recommending the prosecution of the officers involved—none of the recommendations have been enforced. Leera’s car, according to witnesses, remains in the possession of ASP Agbo.
Sterling Law Centre is calling on the PSC to fully investigate the matter, prosecute the implicated officers, dismiss them from service for gross misconduct and abuse of office, ensure the immediate release of Leera’s property including his car, and implement the NHRC panel’s recommendations in full.
“Justice delayed is justice denied. We believe the Commission under your leadership will rise to the occasion and ensure that this matter is not swept under the carpet,” the petition stated.