Former Commander of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) Security Group under the late Military Dictator Sani Abacha, has shocked the world claiming that he was not aware existence of Oputa panel until 12 years after panel’s sittings were concluded.
Penpushing reports that Omenka, made this known at a virtual interview with journalists on June, 25,2026 explaining that after leaving Nigeria, he deliberately cut himself off from developments back home because of what he described as the painful end of his military career.
The retired colonel, despite the fact that the panel’s sittings were televised in Nigeria and reported by local and international media, declared that he was unaware the panel was sitting and was not even invited before the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, popularly known as the Oputa Panel
Penpushing further reports that Omenka who faced several human rights accusations before the panel, also denied raping a teenager and eventually causing her death, one of the many human rights violations he was accused of at the Oputa panel.
The former Commander of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) who was granting interview for the first time after more than three decades, on allegations of torture, wrongful detention and other human rights abuses linked to military investigations in the 1990s, said he was not in the know.
Penpushing also reports that Omenka said contrary to the allegations, he insisted was merely carried out his professional duties, and tasked journalists to find out whether the panel sent message to him
“I didn’t know the panel was even on. I switched off from Nigeria. It was painful. You are journalists. Go and find out whether the panel sent a message to me and I refused to come. I knew about the Oputa Panel about 12 years after it had ended’, he said.
Penpushing reports that Omenka during a three-hour virtual panel discussion organised by Experiential Leadership in Africa (TEL-Africa), in partnership with Premium Times, added that. he lived in isolation abroad and avoided contact with other Nigerians.
The retired colonel on sexual and assault allegation of a young woman arrested during a military operation while in the custody which eventually led to her death subsequently denied the allegation
“I don’t know where the Security Group became a laboratory for making love to people People make up stories just to soil names because they had suffered pain. I did my job. I didn’t kill anybody. I didn’t touch anybody. I carried out my job professionally. There is no room for apology because I have not committed any offence. My duty was to investigate,” he said.
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