Prof. Duru Petitions IGP, Calls for Investigation of Commissioner Fakorede Over Alleged Misconduct
The crisis surrounding the high-profile case between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Senator Natasha Akpoti has deepened, as Prof. Sandra Duru, widely known as Prof. Mgbeke, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, accusing a senior officer of corruption, intimidation, and obstruction of justice.
In her petition, Duru called for the removal and investigation of Commissioner of Police Akin Fakorede, who heads the IGP Monitoring Unit. She alleged that Fakorede had abused his position, interfered with her case, and acted in ways she described as “gross misconduct” and “institutional complicity.”
Duru, who has been a key witness in the dispute with Senator Akpoti, has previously released videos and audio recordings she claims support her accusations. In the petition, she further demanded the return of her case file, the release of a suspect, and the handover of her house key, which she alleged remained in police custody.
The whistleblower also cited threats to her life, issuing the IGP a 72-hour ultimatum to act.
Tensions between Duru and Commissioner Fakorede escalated after the release of WhatsApp conversations, which she says show the officer initially praising her as a “hero of the moment” before turning hostile when she accused him of tampering with witnesses and evidence. The exchanges quickly descended into trading of insults, with Duru insisting the officer had compromised the investigation.
Interestingly, Prof. Duru has, on her Facebook, published other WhatsApp messages, which are as sinister as they are damning.
A certain message was sent to her through WhatsApp number +234916980888, which attempted to implicate Senate President Godswill Akpabio in an alleged plot to harm the Professor.
The message reads:
“My dear sis Sandra,
I’m reaching out to you out of concern. The tide is very dark around the Senate President.
Your letter to withdraw the petition against Senator Natasha isn’t going well with Akpabio and he is planning to kill you before you do so and expose him.
Senator Asuquo has been sent to pacify you in the UK. DO NOT TRUST HIM.
The IGP KayofSP’s Akwa Ibom thugs and Asuquo’s cult members have been notified and are conceiving plans to eliminate you even in America or wherever.
Akpabio calls you a deranged and mentally unstable person; that’s why he will not give you the appointment he promised and months ago cautioned all of us to stay away from the mad, bipolar, and illiterate Sandra.
Don’t bother calling me back.
Be careful. These people are evil. Love for your children.”
This telephone number was promptly reported and forwarded to the police for tracing by Prof. Duru.
Interestingly, a certain Hamza Lamisi, who was later discovered to be one of Natasha’s aides, used the same words in that WhatsApp message and quoted Fakorede as the source of his information. Lamisi said in one of his posts: “DSP Fakorede: Akpabio declined appointment of Sandra Duru (Prof. Mgbeke), calls her a deranged, mentally unstable person.”
In another post, he quoted the DSP directly: “Akpabio cautioned us to stay away from the mad, bipolar and illiterate Sandra” — DSP Fakorede (Head of IGP Monitoring Unit in charge of Senator Natasha’s case).
More puzzling is the fact that DSP Fakorede himself echoed the same words in some of his highly inflammatory and verbally volatile WhatsApp messages to Prof. Duru.
In one of them he wrote: “The world already knows you are a mad woman! A beast of no value. Please keep your madness alive.”
Yet another message read: “Go ahead. I’m waiting for you to expose me. Even your family have testified to your madness and criminality.”
Such words coming from a highly placed police officer are unbelievably shocking.
Obviously, the dragnet to ensnare Professor Duru had been launched in Imo State by people such as Gov. Hope Uzodinma, Eze Mazumere, Natasha Akpoti, and others whom Prof. Duru had in the past exposed, and who have co-opted a family member of hers into their ring of cash-for-betrayal and lies.
The big questions are: why is there a deliberate attempt to taint the image of Prof. Sandra Duru and paint her as a deranged person? Why has the police not been able to trace the number which allegedly threatened her life in the name of the Senate President, and why were the same words , “deranged” and “bipolar”, echoed? Moreover, why is Natasha’s aide quoting Fakorede using the exact same terms, and why did Fakorede himself use them?
How did DSP Fakorede go from: “Suoer Sandra, Hero of the moment, Nigeria is standing up for you…You are the most discusses topic in all of Nigeria home” to such basal and condescending language as “You are a beast, mad woman”? What changed?
The answer is simple: there is an organized pattern, discredit the witness by all means, even if it means roping in the Senate President. Use the words as many times as possible and make it stick. How pathetic!
Duru’s public campaign, until now, has drawn a strong following. Since her nationwide broadcast linking Senator Akpoti to allegations of false accusations and other disruptive acts, she has endured relentless attacks, and not even her innocent children have been spared. Prof. Duru continues to describe her struggle as a “one-woman war” to defend her reputation and push her allegations through the justice system.
Beyond her petition, Duru has initiated separate legal action against those who defamed her, a case reportedly lodged at the Cyber Crimes Unit. She maintains that elements within the police have worked in concert with Senator Akpoti to frustrate proceedings.
The latest petition against Fakorede has added a fresh layer of controversy, fuelling public unease about transparency in the handling of politically sensitive cases. While Duru insists she has credible evidence against the commissioner, the police hierarchy has yet to respond publicly.
For many Nigerians, the unfolding battle underscores a broader crisis of confidence in law enforcement, where allegations of bias and interference continue to erode trust in an already fragile system.
