(In Nigeria) CSP Ekene Nwosu – A Rogue Cop’s Legacy

 

The death of CSP Ekene Nwosu, ex-OC of Anti-Robbery Squad in Akwa Ibom state, Nigeria has sparked celebration. Many recount horrific ordeals at his hands. Those against the celebration have their views, but the Ekene I knew was a devil. Ekene was a rogue cop who dehumanized innocent people in Akwa Ibom. He disrespected lawyers, human rights, and the Judiciary. Courts found him guilty of rights violations, including cases my law firm handled in Uyo.

Despite complaints, Ekene’s power grew unchecked. Why? He was a mercenary for corrupt politicians in Akwa Ibom, targeting their rivals. Successive Police Commissioners failed to rein him in. As told told by eye witnesses, Ekene even celebrated the death of the CP who finally transferred him to Ekiti, where he died yesterday. This man had no remorse. His actions were barbaric, his legacy stained by cruelty. 

Every mortal will die, but what will you be remembered for? Ekene’s victims are within their rights to recall his evil deeds. Let his story be a warning to other rogue officers: your actions have consequences.

The public’s reaction to CSP Ekene Nwosu’s death has been a powerful outpouring of pain, anger, and reflection, revealing the deep scars he left on the Akwa Ibom community. Many have taken to social media and conversations to share chilling accounts of their encounters with him, painting a picture of a man who wielded his authority with cruelty. One commenter captured a widely shared sentiment: “No evil goes unpunished. Evil done by man to man shall be redressed, if not now, then later, by God. The victory of evil over good is only temporary.” This reflects a collective belief that Ekene’s demise, while tragic in the universal sense of mortality, feels like a form of cosmic justice for those who suffered under his tyranny. Victims and observers alike see his death as a moment to reflect on accountability, with many expressing relief rather than sorrow.

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The overwhelming public narrative underscores a broader truth: our legacy is shaped not by our own claims but by how others perceive our actions. “Public opinion about us as individuals is a testament of who we are,” one person noted, emphasizing that Ekene’s reputation as a “bad person” is cemented by the stories of those he wronged. Even those who never met him, like one commenter who said, “I don’t know him, but from public opinion, how can I defend him from being a bad person?” feel compelled to condemn him based on the sheer volume of accusations. These reactions highlight a community grappling with the pain inflicted by a single officer’s unchecked power, with many questioning how such a figure was allowed to operate within the Nigeria Police for so long.

The outrage extends beyond Ekene to the systemic failures that enabled him. Commenters have pointed to cases like the officer allegedly clubbed to death in Kano, drawing parallels to a broken command structure within the Nigeria Police. “The very fact that there’s even one such animal in a 370,000-officer force is a direct indictment on the entire Police leadership,” one person wrote, expressing frustration that rogue officers continue to tarnish the force’s purpose. The #EndSARS movement was invoked as a reminder of unlearned lessons, with calls for leaders to “hunt and remove” such officers if Nigerian lives are truly valued. “If only the living can learn a lesson,” another lamented, capturing a collective hope that Ekene’s story serves as a wake-up call for reform, urging the Police to prioritize serving and protecting rather than oppressing the people they are meant to safeguard.