A group of Nigerian lawyers, Association of Legislative Drafting and Advocacy Practitioners (ALDRAP), has petitioned the Department of State Services, (DSS), demanding an investigation into alleged harassment, illegal detentions and other unlawful operations by the Head of the Gender Unit, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Area 10, Abuja, Mrs Rita Oyintare, a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
ALDRAP, in a letter addressed to the Director General of the DSS, dated 8th April 2025, also accused the police gender unit head of harassment and adjudication of matrimonial cases without compliance with the law.
The petition was equally forwarded to the National Security Adviser, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, House of Representatives Committee on Police Affairs, Chairman, Police Service Commission, and Elizabeth Jones Wonli, Presiding Magistrate, Family Court, Abuja.
Demanding an investigation into the issues raised in the petition, the lawyers group said some of its members, including a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN and former minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, had been illegally detained by the head of the police gender unit.
They also accused Oyintare of preventing judges and magistrates from undertaking monthly visits to the gender unit's detention centres.
Parts of the letter read, “We are Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) and a professional Association of lawyers who are staff of the National Assembly, State legislatures within Nigeria and beyond.
“Contrary to the provisions of Section 35 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oki Emesim Oyintare the Head of the Gender Unit, FCID, Area 10, Abuja, FCT does not permit magistrates or judges to undertake monthly visits to the detention centre that she operates. Attached is a letter that we wrote to the Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on this issue.
“Some of our members including Kabiru Turaki, SAN, a former Minister of Special Duties has been illegally detained by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oyintare.”
The lawyers said relevant government agencies have not been able to call the gender unit head to order.
“On 15th December 2024, even the Chairman of the Police Service Commission confessed that he is tired of complaints against the said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oyintare which the Inspector-General of Police has refused to investigate.
“The Chairman of the Police Service Commission had written a formal letter dated October 2024 to the Inspector-General of Police to investigate why police officers such as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oyintare, were getting involved in matrimonial matters without the court of law authorising them to do so,” the petition added.
The lawyers association explained that it had previously forwarded complaints against the police gender unit head to agencies such as Department of Child Welfare, FCT Women's Directorate, National Human Rights Commission; and the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NAPTIP.
However, according to the association, the complaints failed to yield any effective results.
The group said its members are willing to come forward with evidence, should the DSS undertake to investigate the allegations.
“We have many lawyers, husbands and wives that are willing to come forward to submit both oral and written evidence of how they have been intimidated, coerced, arrested and illegally detained by the said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oyintare and police officers working under her for purely matrimonial issues that are of a civil nature and could easily be resolved by congregation or civil lawsuits.
“They are willing to submit such pieces of evidence to your good self. Considering that the Department of State Security Services (DSS) is the government agency with the responsibility to ensure national security of citizens, we are bringing this report to your good self,” the petition said.
A letter forwarded to ALDRAP by the Police Service Commission in response to a previous, related complaint against the police gender unit, was attached in the petition.
The letter dated 28th October 2024, signed by CP Balarabe Sulaiman Nayaya (rtd), Technical Assistant on Research/ General Admin to the Chairman, Police Service Commission, notified ALDRAP of the receipt of its complaint, adding that the said petition has been forwarded to the Inspector General of Police for necessary action.
Also attached to the petition is a letter the association wrote to the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court over the police gender unit head's refusal to allow visitation to the agency's detention centres, as required by law.
The letter, signed by ALDRAP's lawyer, Kenneth Amadi, is dated 27th March 2025, and titled, ‘Refusal of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oyintare, Head of Gender at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Area 10 Abuja, FCT, to allow allow visitation to the detention centre and records of detention under Section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015'.
Parts of the petition to the FCT High Court chief judge read, “Some of our members who are victims of illegal detention by Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oki Emesim Oyintare have filed several fundamental rights enforcement processes against the said police officer.
“One example is enclosed. In all these cases, it was purely matrimonial cases between married and divorced individuals, which the said Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mrs Rita Oyintare has formed the habit of arresting and illegally detaining the victim of the petitioner.
“Despite repeated petitions to both the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, no disciplinary action has been taken against the said police officer.
“Several organisations such as the National Human Rights Commission and the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria as well as civil society organisations such as the Duty Solicitors Network and our Association – ALDRAP, have sought the approval of the said police officer to comply with Section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015 to permit the monthly visitation by a magistrate to no avail.”
The lawyers association said it decided to petition the FCT High Court chief judge due to a recent illegal detention of a child at the gender unit's facility.
“One incident of illegal detention of two underaged children happened on 18th December 2024 in the presence of a Judge of the FCT Customary Court and he is ready to testify when called upon,” the letter added.
