Retired Colonel Frank Omenka, a former commander of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) Security Group under the late Head of State Sani Abacha, has stated that he only became aware of the Oputa Panel approximately 12 years after its proceedings had concluded. Despite the panel's hearings being broadcast on Nigerian television and widely covered by both local and international media, Omenka, who faced multiple human rights accusations before the commission, claimed ignorance of its existence until well after it finished its work.
First Public Appearance in Over 30 Years
During a virtual interview with journalists on 25 June, Omenka also denied raping a teenager and causing her subsequent death, one of the numerous human rights violations he was accused of at the Oputa Panel. This interview marked Omenka's first public appearance in more than three decades. For years, he has remained one of the most controversial figures associated with the Abacha regime, with former detainees, journalists, and human rights activists accusing him of torture, intimidation, and other abuses during military investigations. Omenka, however, denied all allegations and insisted he merely carried out his professional duties.
Virtual Panel Discussion Details
Omenka made these remarks during a three-hour virtual panel discussion organized by Experiential Leadership in Africa (TEL-Africa) in partnership with Premium Times. The panel, moderated by TEL-Africa's Adeolu Adewumi, featured Premium Times publisher Dapo Olorunyomi, TheNews Magazine executive editor Kunle Ajibade, and Premium Times managing editor Idris Akinbajo. Throughout the session, the panellists questioned Omenka over allegations of torture, wrongful detention, and other human rights abuses linked to military investigations in the 1990s.
Omenka's Explanation for Not Appearing Before the Oputa Panel
Asked why he never appeared before the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, popularly known as the Oputa Panel, despite being mentioned in several testimonies, Omenka said he was unaware the panel was sitting. “I didn’t know the panel was even on,” he stated. He explained that after leaving Nigeria, he deliberately cut himself off from developments back home due to what he described as the painful end of his military career. “I switched off from Nigeria. It was painful,” he said. Omenka added that he lived in isolation abroad and avoided contact with other Nigerians.
Challenge to Journalists
Even though the panel summoned him and others who failed to appear, Omenka challenged the interviewers to verify whether the commission ever invited him. “You are journalists. Go and find out whether the panel sent a message to me and I refused to come,” he said. “I knew about the Oputa Panel about 12 years after it had ended.” His explanation was questioned by the panellists, who noted that several senior officials of the Abacha government appeared before the commission to defend their actions. Numerous former political detainees, journalists, labour activists, and military officers also testified before the panel, with several specifically mentioning Omenka in accounts of detention and interrogation. The Oputa Panel was established in 1999 by then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to investigate gross human rights violations committed during military rule.
Rape Allegation Resurfaces
The interview took a dramatic turn when moderator Adewumi referred to testimony presented before the Oputa Panel alleging that a young woman arrested during a military operation was sexually assaulted while in Omenka's custody. According to archived records of the panel's proceedings, witnesses alleged in 2000 that Omenka raped and impregnated an 18-year-old detainee, Bunmi Samuel. The records also stated that she later died from abortion complications after her release.
Omenka's Denial of Rape Allegations
Omenka initially deflected the question but subsequently denied the allegation. “I don’t know where the Security Group became a laboratory for making love to people,” he said. He explained that the young woman and a teenage boy were taken into custody after security operatives searched a residence while pursuing adult suspects. According to him, the adults escaped, leaving the two behind. Omenka said both teenagers were taken to a military facility for their safety. He added that the boy was later released after his mother arrived with documents from the British High Commission confirming his identity. He insisted that neither of them was abused while in custody. “People make up stories just to soil names because they had suffered pain,” he said.
Rejection of Torture Allegations
Premium Times earlier reported that Omenka also rejected longstanding allegations that he tortured detainees during military investigations, arguing that he had nothing to apologise for. He maintained that his role was limited to investigating suspects and not deciding their guilt or punishment. He said he sometimes used intimidating language during interrogations but never physically assaulted anyone. “I did my job. I didn’t kill anybody. I didn’t touch anybody. I carried out my job professionally,” he said. “There is no room for apology because I have not committed any offence. My duty was to investigate,” he stated.
Dispute with Former Detainees
Former detainees on the panel disputed his account, arguing that his interrogation methods contributed to wrongful convictions, prolonged detention, and the suffering of many victims during the Abacha era.
