Detention of Pastor Dr Tombari Joseph Gbeneol: It’s up to the Police to save its modicum of integrity

As at 5th January, 2026, the Founder of Forte Chapel Church, Port Hacourt is said to have spent two weeks behind bars over a spurious allegation of his involvement to bring into the country Israeli assassins to eliminate the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Chief Nyesom Wike over the endless political conundrum with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Much as the Clergy was not a politician, and his relationship with the governor hasn’t been well established, hence, his sentiment that will be so strong to the extent of plotting Wike’s killing is a trajectory highly incomprehensible, if not totally a mystery.

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Nigeria is a country where due process and the rule of law should be observed and in this case, the Police should come out clean to save its modicum of integrity by not been a sold out because an elite is involved.

The complainant character is a known propagandist who could stop at nothing to cower everyone to his political whims and caprices and seeing the Nigerian Police offering itself as a platform would be more shameful.

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We call on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to stand for what is right and save the institution he superintends from using power to abuse the fundamental rights of a citizen. Given the allegation so far, the embattled Clergy ought to have been charged in Court under the Criminal Justice Act 2014.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. Continued detention of a suspect in the security facility was not only illegal, but a show of incompetence of the operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, and by extension, the Nigeria Police.

This is not a vindication of the suspect, but the institution is too important to allow itself to be dragged into political altercation in a very dangerous manner.

We also call on the media, advocacy groups, civil society organisations and other non-governmental organisations to watch out the behaviour of police in the case as the system shouldn’t be left for the elites’ oppressive tendencies.

It’s up to the Nigeria Police to save the small portion of its battered name due to compromises on many issues depending on who is the highest bidder.

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