HURIWA accuses Police of persecuting Catholic protest in Biu, Borno state

● Calls for the immediate release of the illegally detained Catholic Priest

Civil Rights Advocacy Group- HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA)- has accused the Borno State Police command of the intolerable and unconstitutional persecution and unlawfully prolonged detention of a Roman Catholic Reverend Father, Peter Chukwuneke Uchebo over unproven, unsubstantiated allegation of raping a girl just as the Rights Group has urged the acting Inspector-General of Police to order the unconditional release of this arbitrarily detained Priest or charge him or any other presumed suspect to the competent Court of law.

HURIWA stated that the Nigerian Police established under the constitution and guided by the provisions of the police Act of 2020 with a plethora of rights based provisions, must never be allowed to unduly oppress a Nigerian citizen on seemingly nebulous charges.

HURIWA has also urged the Catholic hierarchy in Maiduguri diocese and Nigeria as a whole to file a suit at the Federal High Court to seek the enforcement of the fundamental human rights of this Priest who has been detained under intolerable and harsh condition since July 2023 without presenting him before the competent Court of law just as the Roghts group stated that it was told that the police has decided to release him on the condition that he signs out his right to seek judicial reprieve over his wrongful detention. HURIWA described this method of compelling victims of police brutality to sign undertaking not to press charges against unlawful detention as primitive, unconstitutional, and despicable.

In a media statement by the National Coordinator of the HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA), the foremost Rights group stated that findings from credible sources within the Borno State Police Command and the Catholic Diocese of Maiduguri Borno State revealed as follows: “On 27th June, 2023, a day declared as Sallah public holiday in Borno state, the school Manager attached to the Dioces of Maiduguri of the Roman Catholic Church Rev. Father Peter Chukwuneke Uchebo instructed that students were not to come to school. This message he left on the school WhatsApp page for parents. Being a free day for students, he decided to carry on the decking for an ongoing construction within the premises. He therefore invited the youths and other persons to contribute to local support by working with the labourers. Unfortunately, a few children/wards whose parents might have not gotten the message came to school.

Father Peter Uchebo and other church members were at the site supporting the work. Among those who were offering local support was the school head teacher, Mr. Philip Peter. While this work went on at the site, the few students who came decided to stay within the school premises to play. There were 10 students who stayed back. Among them was Miss Rifkatu, a four-year old girl. This joined the other children to play. After some time, about 14:00, one Ibrahim took her along with him, picked a tricycle home, and dropped her at her house before proceeding to his house.

The Incidence

Between 21:00 and 22:00, a detachment of policemen and one Mrs. Rachael, the mother of the Rifkatu from the Biu police station, arrived at the Parish house asking for Father Peter Uchebo to arrest him. There were few parishioners there who were still working at the site late into the night to finish the decking work. At this this news, some of them gathered, and there was a commotion. They inquired what the arrest was for, and they were told by the policemen, that there was an allegation of rape committed within the Church premises and so Father Peter was required to be at the station to respond to some questions. Enraged by this, the youths resisted the arrest of the priest and insisted rather that the suspect was to be the one to be arrested, not the priest. After calming the situation, the policemen left without arresting the priest.

The following day, Father Peter arrived at the police station. There, he was told that an allegation was levelled against Mr. Philip is the headteacher for supposedly raping a four-year old girl. According to the police, the girl who could barely speak, said “it was Uncle Philip who gave me injection”. Intending the injection to be his penetration of the girl. Furthermore, that said the night of 27th June 2023, the Police had ordered a medical examination conducted at the General Hospital by a lab scientist. The police were awaiting the report, which the lab scientist promised will be ready in 8 days.

The allegation
The little girl accused Mr. Philip of injecting her. Mr. Philip denied this as he claimed he was at the construction site assisting the ongoing work along with some of the Church Youths. Upon hearing that there were some children who were at school with the girl, Father Peter inquired and was told the number of the children. He then went and fetched them with the permission of their parents to come over and testify. The children gave their testimony that they had actually played in the school with Rifkatu. At some point, she failed down and began to cry. Other details of the investigation would be contained in the Police report.

After all this invitation, Father Peter went back home and continued to await the outcome of the result of the medical test while Mr. Philip remained in police custody. While all this was happening, Father Peter informed the diocesan authorities. They instructed that he was to wait and see the outcome.

Travel to Maiduguri
On Tuesday 4th of July, Father Peter Uchebo, in the company of two other priests, travelled to Maiduguri via Damaturu for priestly ordination taking place in Maiduguri Upon arrival, he discussed the case with the diocesan Bishop, who has asked him to meet the diocesan lawyer, Barrister Habiba. This he did and briefed her about what took place in Biu.

On Friday, 7th July 2023, Father Peter received a call inviting him to come over to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence department (SCIID). He obliged and went to answer the call, thinking it was to give a statement. On arriving there, he was told that he was also a suspect. This was based on a video record by the father of Rifkatu, who, with lead questions, asked the girl: “Who injected you?” Her response was Uncle Philip. It was also alleged based on the video with prompts, Father Peter held her hand for the injection. For this, he was considered the second suspect in the case of Rape. After taking his statement, he was detained on the 7th of July, 2023. He has remained in detention from 7th July up to date.

A second investigation in Biu

After conversation with the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence department, it was agreed that a second round of investigation should be conducted in Biu to inspect the crime scene. Two Police officers were commissioned to do this along with the family and the representatives of the diocese. However, the Police and the family of the alleged victim left for Biu on Tuesday 18th July, 2023 when the representatives of the church noticed no one was there to ascertain the investigation, we requested the Deputy Commissioner of Police SCIID to allow us to be at the scene. This he granted. The Police then interviewed just witnesses in Biu but not the girl nor her parents. The girls were only asked to show the place of the alleged crime.”