CIVIL LIBERTIES ORGANIZATION, C.L.O , SOUTH SOUTH ZONE
C/o No. 6 Abuja Lane, Off Wogu Street, D-Line, Port Harcourt. E-mail closouthsouth@gmail.com
MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR ADAMU
The Inspector General of Police
Nigerian Police Force
Forces Headquarters
Abuja.
ATTENTION: IG MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR ADAMU
Dear Sir,
On the Continued Harassment, Illegal Arrests, Threat of Arrests, Intimidation, And Threats On the Life of citizen Jeff Ikechi Esq And His Physically Challenged Brother, Ekele Onuah, by Some Police Officers Attached To The IG’s Office, Abuja
We write to humbly bring to your urgent attention the ceaseless police harassments, illegal arrests, intimidation, detention and threats to life of Citizen Jeff Ikechi Geoffrey, Esq and his physically challenged brother, Ekele Onuah, natives of Ubima in Ikwerre Local government Area of Rivers State, by Police officers said to be attached to the FCIID, UNDER THE IG’S Office, forces headquarters, Abuja. .
The Policemen are allegedly being used by one Mr Dandyson Onuah, also from the same Ubima, Ikwerri LGA of Rivers state to terrorize the said Jeff Ikechi and his brother as a result of issues arising from the representation of their family at an oil servicing company operating in their community, Ubima. It was gathered that the problem started when Elders of the family wrote to the oil servicing company, All Grace Energy Ltd/Western Ord Oil and Gas Ltd, telling the company that Mr Dandyson has been removed as the Community Liaison Officer, CLO/family representative at the company and has been replaced by Jeff Ikechi. Dandyson who allegedly vowed to resist his removal, was said to have vowed to use his links at the IG’s office at Abuja as well as some Abuja based politicians to ensure that the decision of the family is reversed.
IKECHI Jeff, a legal practitioner and a law abiding citizen, was arrested in Port Harcourt on Monday, February 17, 2020 by Policemen from the FCID, Abuja. He was whisked away to Abuja from Port Harcourt same day for detention, while his brother, Ekele was arrested on February 19 in Port Harcourt and taken to Abuja also for detention.
They were said to have been subjected to cruel and subhuman treatments by the Police in their desperation to coerce Jeff into rejecting the position given to him by the community. Mr Dandyson was said to have boasted that Ikechi Jeff must either back out from his position as the community liaison officer, CLO/family representative of the oil servicing or be prepared to rot in custody.
The officers who partook in the illegal arrest include Mr Joseph with phone number, 07031288107 and Mr Emmanuel with phone number, 07068777115
Ikechi Jeff was first arrested on September 11 and detained at Ubima Police Division on a trumped up charge of cultism. He was moved to the notorious SARS cell at Rukpokwu on September 12 and to SCIID on September 13, 2019. He was later released on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner of Police when it was found out that he was wrongly accused. It was also gathered that after his release, Policemen from Abuja stormed Port Harcourt and whisked him away to Abuja on a trumped up charge of forging the signatures of his family members who sent a letter to the company removing Dandyson as the CLO. The family elders who wrote the letter to the company were also said to have been chased out of the community by Dandyson and his Police cohorts as they were threatened with arrest and elimination. They are now in hiding.
On Friday, March 20, 2020, Citizen Jeff and his brother, Ekele were released from Abuja Police cell and taken back to Port Harcourt where they are presently being detained at State CID under the office of the O/C Legal. They have been in detention for almost two month. This is contrary to the Nigerian 1999 Constitution which frowns at detention for over two days without trial.
While still in Police cell in Port Harcourt, our attention has been drawn to a clandestine plot by Dandyson and his Police cohorts to storm Port Harcourt again and take them back to Abuja.
The continued detention without trial of Jeff is unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal, an affront to rule of law, a violation of his fundamental rights to fair hearing, dignity of human person, personal liberty, safety, movement and freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and other human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory.
It is shameful and worrisome that the Police has allowed itself to be dragged into the issue that is ordinarily a family issue that can at worst, be settled in a court of competent jurisdiction.
We most respectfully call on you, the Inspector General of Police, IG, to prevail on the DIG and AIG at the FCID, Abuja to desist from further arrest, threats of arrest, intimidation, harassment and witch-hunting of Citizen Jeff Ikechi and his brother, Ekele.
We also call on you, as the reputable number one Police officer, to prevail on the Rivers State Police Command, to ensure that Jeff and his physically challenged brother are released immediately.
However, if the Police has any reason not to release them, they should charge them to a competent court in Port Harcourt where fair hearing would be guaranteed.
Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, is foremost human rights NGO aimed at protecting and promoting the rights of citizens.
Signed:
Kal Chinedu Uchegbu
Zonal Chairman
South South Zone.
Signed:
Obodoekwe Styvn
Zonal Director
South South Zone
CC:
The Press
Amnesty International
RULAAC
#No to illegal Detention
#No to Police intimidation
