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Canadian Judge calls Nigerian Police “evil force”, repatriate him
DDM NEWS
A Canadian Federal Court judge, Justice Yvan Roy, has indeed referred to the Nigerian Police Force as an “evil force” in a ruling that denied permanent residency to a former Nigerian police corporal, Iyanbe Eriator.
Iyanbe Eriator, a former corporal in the Nigerian Police Force, applied for permanent residency in Canada but was denied by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) due to his association with the police force.
Justice Yvan Roy upheld the IRCC’s decision, stating that Eriator’s membership in the police force made him complicit in crimes against humanity, including torture, extrajudicial killings, and enslavement, which are violations of the Rome Statute.
The judge reasoned that the Nigerian police have a documented pattern of abuses, and as a member of the force, Eriator would have been aware of these repeated and systematic acts of violence and torture.
Therefore, his continued membership in the force implied significant contribution to these crimes.
The ruling implies that any Nigerian who willingly joined the Nigerian police would be considered guilty by association before the Canadian judicial system and the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
The case highlights the international community’s growing concern over human rights abuses by state actors, particularly the Nigerian Police Force.
The court’s description of the police as an “evil force” underscores the severity of these concerns.
Many Nigerians have applauded the Canadian judiciary for holding former Nigerian police officers accountable for their roles in a security agency often accused of brutality and corruption.
However, the case has also sparked debate, with some questioning why the Canadian judge would “rubbish the Nigerian Police Force image”.
This division reflects broader discussions on human rights and state accountability.
Justice Yvan Roy of the Federal Court of Canada, Ottawa, denied Iyanbe Eriator, a former corporal of the Nigeria Police Force, permanent residency in Canada on the grounds of his association with the Force, which he accused of being corrupt.
Having been denied permanent residency by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), Mr Eriator proceeded to court to seek judicial redress.
The judge said the Nigerian police had a policy requirement for officers to rape, maim, torture, enslave, disappear and murder Nigerians, adding all of these were in violation of the Rome Statute on crimes against humanity.
“Mr Eriator, as a member of the police force, was complicit in those crimes because he could not have been unaware of the repeated and systematic acts of violence and torture,” the Canadian judge stated.
“The fact that he remained within the Force, and because of his position, he was said by the Minister as having made a significant contribution to the crimes.”
Mr Eriator, however, denied the allegations, saying he was only a police officer and did not participate in the criminal activities of the force.
In his ruling, the judge stated that Mr Eriator was inadmissible to Canada due to his previous ties to the Nigerian police.
Mr Eriator entered Canada illegally through the land borders from the U.S. in October 2017.
He voluntarily joined the Nigerian police in June 2009 and rose to the position of corporal.
The ex-corporal was also assigned to checkpoints during two past elections in Nigeria, including the 2015 presidential election.
He was also assigned to the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Ikeja for a period before leaving the force in 2016.
Mr Eriator’s case added to the growing list of Nigeria’s ex-police officers who had been denied permanent stay in Canada over their involvement or association with the police’s crime-related activities.
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