[OPINION] APO6 and The Re-instatement of DCP Danjuma: The Shame of a Country, By Charles Ogbu

DCP Danjuma Ibrahim

By Charles Ogbu.

DCP Danjuma Ibrahim is the Deputy commissioner of police who initiated, supervised and actively participated in the killing of 6 auto-spare parts dealers in APO, a satellite town in Abuja, in 2005.


The murdered 5 young men and a lady were all Igbos doing business in APO auto-spare parts market.

They were killed because DCP Danjuma made romantic advances to the only lady among them, Augustina Arebu, at a night club, which she turned down. A minor disagreement ensued between the guys and the officer who stormed out of the night club to the nearby police checkpoint where he told the police men on duty that there were armed robbers in the area. When the APO6 drove to the checkpoint, officer Danjuma reportedly blocked them with his vehicle and ordered the junior police men on duty to open fire on them.

The APO6: Ekene Isaac Mgbe, Ifeanyin Ozor, Chinedu Meniru, Paulinus Ogbonna and Anthony and Augustina Arebu were killed on 7 and 8 June, 2005

The police men obeyed.

4 of the APO6 were killed on the spot. The remaining two, the lady and one of the 5 guys, were killed the following day.

The lady, Augustina Arebu, whose rejection of Danjuma's sexual invite caused the whole thing, was personally strangled to death by DCP Danjuma. The same Danjuma whose recall letter you are looking at here.

Afterwards, the Nigerian police left no stone unturned in a desperate bid to cover up this despicable crime.

First, they planted weapons in the car of the APO6 and brought a photographer to take the picture which they distributed to newsmen tagging the innocent traders "armed robbers".

But testifying before a panel of inquiry set up by the then president Olusegun Obasanjo, the police men who took part in the killing all confessed their role and categorically told the panel that it was DCP Danjuma who ordered them to shoot.

The govt panel recommended that 5 officers including DCP Danjuma and the DPO of APO police station who supplied the weapon planted in the car of the traders, Othman Abdulsalami, were all guilty of murder and should be charged to court. President Obasanjo tendered apology to the families of the victims and even paid compensation.

But during the panel hearing, something shockingly strange happened.

A police man, Anthony Edem, who had earlier testified against the police and was scheduled to testify again on Monday died on a Sunday night after going out to drink with some of his fellow policemen. An autopsy report from Abuja national hospital found out he was poisoned.

In a nutshell, the Nigerian police killed one of its own just to cover up her crime!

In a cell inside the police headquarters (Edet House) where the APO DPO, Othman, was kept pending his day in court, he left his cell one morning purportedly to go pray and simply 'disappeared'.

I mean, a suspect in a high profile murder case was allowed to go pray all by himself right there from his cell at the police headquarters!

Till today, that killer officer was never brought to trial.

Few months ago, a court sentenced two junior police men to death for the APO 6 killing after they confessed to killing the APO6 ON THE ORDERS OF DCP DANJUMA but the same Judge said there was not enough evidence to convict the senior officer Danjuma.

Today, DCP Danjuma has been officially re-instated into the police force via a Police Wireless Message intercepted by Sahara-Reporters. This killer officer will be paid all arrears of salaries and other entitlements dating back to 2005.

It is possible to save a country from criminals and murderers but when those who are supposed to save the country from these criminals and murderers become the criminals and murderers themselves, what hope is there for such a country????

It is becoming increasingly insane to retain any hope that this country is not beyond salvation.