The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has refuted the video footage going viral on the X social media platform, which accuses the command of torturing one Erastus Emhenya to death while in custody.

In a statement issued to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Bennett Igweh, was quoted as saying: “Contrary to the video footage being recirculated on the X social media platform, where it was alleged that one Erastus Emhenya, who died on April 6, 2023, while in police custody, was tortured to death, the FCT police command wishes to state that the unfortunate incident was diligently investigated, reiterating that the deceased was not tortured to death as alleged.

“Discreet investigations were conducted to determine the remote and immediate cause of death of the deceased, and an autopsy was carried out, which confirms the stance of the police.

“The command leadership, while vehemently affirming its stance and transparency, calls on all interested parties who wish to know the outcome of the autopsy and investigation to visit the command headquarters through the office of the PPRO.

“The command assures the general public of its steadfastness in upholding the rule of law and respecting the fundamental human rights of all residents.”

In another development, the command disclosed that its operatives from the Utako division, in a two-day streak operation between June 30 and July 3, 2024, acting on credible intelligence, trailed and arrested five notorious kidnappers in Gwagwa and Dei-Dei, Abuja, respectively.

According to the command, the suspects—Umar Abdullahi, a.k.a. Auta, 20; Likita Abubakar, 29; Salisu Sani, 24; Sabiu Mohammed; and Aliyu Suleiman, 24—were arrested in connection with the kidnapping incident in Gwagwa on June 12, 2024, where a victim was kidnapped, the sum of twelve million naira was collected as ransom from the victim’s family, and two others were killed. The suspects are also responsible for several kidnappings and other heinous acts in the Capital Territory.

Four AK-47 rifles, a Dane gun, two magazines, and eight unexpended live rounds of ammunition were recovered from the suspects, who have all confessed to the crime.