The Defence of Human Rights and Democracy (DHRD) has demanded the arrest of a former Nigerian senator, Adawari Pepple, for allegedly banishing a 71-year-old man, Elder Eleaza Pepple, from his home and destroying his property worth millions of naira.
Chairman of DHRD, Mr. Clifford Solomon, called for the arrest of Senator Pepple at a press conference in Port Harcourt that DHRD called to address allegations raised by Elder Eleaza against Senator Pepple.
DHRD also called for the prosecution of Senator Pepple and the agents he allegedly used to commit the acts against Elder Pepple and his wife at their hometown, Opobo in Opobo Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State. It said the senator should be made to pay for all the property of Elder Pepple that were destroyed on August 13, 2022.
But Senator Pepple dismissed the allegations, saying nothing of such happened. He told National Point that he does not even have the powers to banish anybody from his home.
But Solomon said, “DHRD is demanding the arrest and immediate prosecution of Senator Pepple and his area boys; all the properties of Elder Pepple and that of his wife, Mrs. Patience Pepple who is on clutches that were destroyed worth N1 million should be paid for.
“DHRD equally states that any harm that happened to any member of Elder Eleaza Pepple’s family, Senator Pepple should be held responsible as their lives are being threatened.”
DHRD urged the police to consider the action against the former senator as urgent because the issue was about a gross abuse of fundamental Human Rights of Elder Eleaza and Mrs. Patience Pepple.
“We do believe that this will serve as a deterrent to all others who deliberately abuse or violate citizens, rights by omission or commission to have it at the back of their mind that justice will always prevail,” Solomon said.
Senator Pepple had denied the allegations when National Point contacted him to respond to the allegations. He said it was an attempt to tarnish his image. “How can anyone claim I banished him, do I have such powers? This is a calculated attempt to tarnish my image,” he said.
Elder Pepple from Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State had cried out for justice after he was allegedly banished from his community by the former senator that also allegedly ordered that his house and other property be destroyed.
Elder Pepple told National Point that the ex-senator had on August 13, 2022 accused him of insulting the ex-senator’s late father, breaking a toilet door and failing to attend family meetings.
Narrating his ordeal, EleazaPepple, 71, said, “Senator Pepple on the 13th day of August, 2022 banished me and my wife Mrs. Patience Pepple who is on clutches. He accused me of insulting his late father, broke toilet door and failed to attend family meetings.
“He hired the services of area boys numbering over 30 to destroy my house and brought out all my properties. They went to my wife’s shop where she sews clothes and sells beverages and pepper soup, destroyed the two rooms apartment in the shop and other properties using the area boys.
“When this attack happened we ran to the police station in Opobo and reported the matter, the Divisional Police Officer DPO came to the scene and saw the senator carrying out the destruction. But he disregarded the police and continued with the act.
“I took further steps to write a petition against Senator Pepple to the commissioner of police, CP Friday Eboka, and nothing has been done. Rather, the commissioner of Police directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police to handle the matter and Senator Pepple has not honoured any of the police invitations.”
The septuagenarian said Senator Pepple again sent his area boys to his house around 11pm in the odd hour of the night asking him to come out. Elder Pepple said he told them to go away that they would talk in the morning, the area boys took offence, dragged out the 71 years old Eleaza Pepple from his house, tore his clothes, sat him on the floor and were going to flog him if he did not give them five bottles of Gordon dry gin which he said was to save his life. He also alleged that they invited juju priest to administer an oath
