 |
Activist Samuelson Iwuoha |
P.O Box
320,
Uniport,
Choba
,Port Harcourt,
Nigeria
29/6/14
The
Chairman,
Police
Service Commission,
Federal
Secreteriat Complex, Phase I, Shehu Shagari Way Maitama,
Abuja,
Nigeria
Sir,
The
Illegal Detention Of Activist Samuelson Iwuoha By The Imo State Police Command
The
Youths Against Human Rights Violations And Corrupt Practices (YAHVCP)
wish to inform you of our condemnation in absolute terms the
detention of an Imo State Anti Corruption Activist Citizen Samuelson
Iwuoha and his wife Chioma without trial by the Imo State Police Command
since June 3rd 2014 under the instructions of the Governor Rochas Okorocha led
government. Iwuoha’s detention for close to one month now shows the
banality of the so-called rule of law of the Okorocha’s APC government
and again clearly corroborate our earlier assertion that the Okorocha’s
government in Imo State is nothing short of fascism.
The
story of Iwuoha’s arrest and detention is well known. We wrote a complaint to
the Inspector General of Police over this issue on the 12th of June 2014.
Please find our complaint to the IGP attached to this mail. Samuelson
Iwuoha is the facilitator of SLAP initiative as well as a social crusader.
On the
18th of December 2014 , Samuelson Iwuoha sent a letter to the Imo State Police
Commissioner that his life was in danger and that the Speaker of
Imo State House of Assembly and some aides to the
Speaker threatened to kill him for exposing their corruption activities.
He also issued a press statement published in several media houses tagged
corruption in Imo Speakers office my life is in danger. Please google MY
LIFE IS IN DANGER BY IKENNA SAMUELSON IWUOHA.
He told
the world that should any harm happens to him and members of his
family that the Imo House of Assembly Speaker,the Chief of Staff to the Speaker
Mr. Kodichi Anamekwe, the Acting SSA Media to the Speaker Mr. Emeka Ahaneku,
the Special Adviser on Administration Mr. Kingsley Nkemka, the Special Adviser
on Political matters Mr. Kingsley Ndubueze should be held responsible. The Imo
State police under Mr Ali never bothered to investigate his claims.
On the
29th of April 2014, one Chioma Obi who Iwuoha has since exposed as
the SA Media to Uwajumogu ,Mr Emeka Ahaneku released a press statement
published in several media houses and blogs tagged Iwuoha plans to
commit suicide if arrested claiming that he has uncovered the
perfected plans by Mr. Samuelson Iwuoha, to forcefully take away his life
in the event of any arrest occasioned by his inability to produce evidence of
his fraud allegations against the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu. Again
the police under Mr Ali never bothered to investigate this claim. Please
Google IWUOHA PLANS TO COMMIT SUICIDE BY CHIOMA OBI.
On the
1st of May 2014 Citizen Samuelson Iwuoha dismissed the report that he was
planning to commit suicide, saying that aides of the Speaker of the Imo State
House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu, sparked the rumors as a
smokescreen to pave the way for his murder. He sent copies to the Imo police
commissioner but again the police under Mr Ali did not bother to
investigate this. Please Google IMO SPEAKER’S SISTER THREATENS IWUOHA.
On the
3rd of June 2014 the gunmen who are cultists stormed Iwuoha’s
residence at Plot 95, Willy Elezianya Street, Ikenegbu Layout Extension
and a young man was brutally murdered on the road facing his compound.
Upon Iwuoha’s return to his house later in the evening he was immediately
arrested with his wife, tenants and passersby.
YAHVCP
gathered that he was arrested, framed with murder so as to dump him in prison
custody but due to the uproar from the public and the human rights community
,the plot to charge the Activist to court and remand him in prison
custody has failed but the police are still holding him claiming that they
are still investigating and awaiting forensic results.
A PHD
holder in Analytical Chemistry /Environmental Chemistry Dr Godson Iwuoha
has debunked the theory that the police is waiting for forensic result. He even
offered to do it for them free of charge or take them where they can do it.
Samuelson Iwuoha’s continued detention and torture at the
facilities of the Imo State Police Command without release or bail is
unconstitutional and breach of his dignity as human person and liberty as
enshrined under Sections 34, 35, 36 and 41 of the Constitution of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended. Several human rights lawyers have come
for his bail but the police have refused to release him because of the order
from above.
YAHVCP
has it on good authority that the government of Imo State convened a
security meeting on the 5th of June 2014 to discuss the Iwuoha issue. The
State government was represented by the Chief of Staff to the Governor Sir Jude
Ejiogu, SSA to the Governor on Security Barrister Okey Okorocha,Director of Imo
Security Guard Chief Donatus Ejifugha, the Chief Security Officer to the
Governor and others.
At the
security meeting it was revealed that Samuelson was never a cultist and that an
attempt was made at his life. A demand for his released was made by
some persons present at the security meeting. A list of 5 persons who committed
the murder was handed over to the government, the SSS and the Imo State police
command at the meeting. But the Okorocha’s government has vowed that the
activist will stay in jail till after 2015 election saying that his release
will rubbish their government. 17 persons arrested alongside Iwuoha have been
released so far . It is only Iwuoha and his wife that are still being detained.
Iwuoha has developed pneumonia, his wife has pains all over her body.His
children are sick and hospitalized, his businesses are under lock and key.
A
police source at the Imo State police Command informed YAHVCP that the Police
have concluded their investigation for long and have found out that
Iwuoha and his wife are innocent but that the order from above is
preventing his release. They have done autopsy on the dead body,they have done
blood test on the blood stains found in Iwuoha’s house and the blood of the
slain man. It did not match in any way. They have also confirmed that Samuelson
was not around when the murder took place, said the source. Another source from
the Imo State police command informed YAHVCP that the leadership of the
command have instructed them to inform anyone who ask about the Iwuoha issue
that the police is still investigating. Mean while the police have authorized
the burial of the murdered man and his burial has been fixed for 10 July
2014, said the source. Why are they still holding Samuelson?
This
action of the Imo State police commissioner Mr Ali and the Imo
state government is a sign of moral collapse in governance in Imo State.
It is ridiculous that while public officers who are expected to be above board
but perpetrate brazen corruption are allowed to live like kings, activists who
are demanding justice and sanity are thrown into the dungeons of injustice and
repression. This again shows that despite the so-called emergence of civilian
rule since 1999 and despite the struggle of the working and poor masses against
dictatorship and for good governance, Governor Okorocha who never
contributed to the termination of military dictatorship is the one
throwing the masses to the gallows. That we are still witnessing a clear attack
on democratic rights in Imo state , aided by the Imo State police commissioner
Mr Ali, is a sign of bad omen for Imo State in the 2015 election. A police
commissioner is teaming up with the APC led government in Imo State to witch
hunt activists in Imo State. Which way Nigeria?
YAHVCP
is demanding that Iwuoha and his wife should be released on bail
immediately or be arraigned before a properly constituted Court as required by
Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as
amended and articles 4, 5 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and People’s
Right. The police should explain why they have refused to go after the 5 men
who according to security reports committed the murder. The police should
explain why the Chief Security Officer to the Speaker of Imo State House
of Assembly (Chief Omeudo) was seen discussing with Samuelson’s IPO (Mr
Obi) on Thursday 5th June 2014. When Iwuoha confronted Omeudo, he was
speechless. SSA to Speaker on Media Mr Emeka Ahaneku was also seen at the CID
Complex where Samuelson was being held.
Are we
back to the era of military absolutism with its associated abuse of the
fundamental rights of people to freedom of expression, among others? An
era where activists are being framed and send to jail? Why is the Imo
State Police Commissioner conniving with politicians in Imo State to
witch hunt anti corruption activists in Imo State.YAHVCP has also
reliably gathered that the government of Imo State are also looking
for Kenneth Uwadi and to frame him so as to jail him. It is
part of the despotic measures of corrupt politicians in Imo State aimed
at suppressing activists right to protest and resist their mindless
looting of the state and their anti-poor policies. This characteristic
despotism of the Imo State government confirms its lack of commitment to
genuine democratic culture.
The Imo
State government has become so panic and grown goose pimples over the
inevitable mass backlash against its mindless looting of the Imo treasury. This
is why, besides the unjust arrest and unlawful detention of anti
corruption activists in the State, they have resorted to tagging
them as cultists and murderers so as to jail and silence them. Rather than
arrest the corrupt politicians in the state who looted our public resources and
made people impoverished, the Nigerian Police in Imo State under Mr Ali
is colluding with the same looters to repress genuine voices. It is disturbing
that Police Commissioner Ali has turned himself into a
yes man of the Okorocha government.
Kenneth
Uwadi is not a criminal. He is the coordinator of placard carrying youths
in Nigeria, Youths Against Human Rights Violation and Corrupt Practices
(YAHVCP). He is a blogger ,a Newspaper columnist as well as an
Accountant in Nigeria. He is from Mmahu-Egbema in
Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State. He uses his blog (FAMOUS
NAIJA), his political columns in newspapers and placard
carrying youths to speak against corruption and human rights violation in
Imo State and in Nigeria. He has been doing so since year 2003. Please
Google the name KENNETH UWADI for verifications.
It
is pertinent to beseech you the Chairman of police service
commission and the IGP with a view to requesting you to
kindly look into this matter and condemn the unlawful arrest and
detention of Activist Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha and his wife and demand for
their immediate release and to call on the Imo State government to
stop all victimizations of Kenneth Uwadi and other activists in Imo
Kenneth
Uwadi
YAHVCP
National Coordinator
+2348037982714
Amaka
Didanda
YAHVCP
Media Affairs
Copies to: The Inspector General of Police, His
Excellency, Rochas Okorocha,Governor Imo State, Owerri, Imo State Commissioner
of police, Owerri, The Speaker, Imo State House of Assembly ,Owerri