RE: THE ARREST HUMILIATION, ATTEMPTED MURDER, FRAME UP OF BARR CASELY OMON-IRABOR: OUR CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT/THOROUGH INVESTIGATION THEREOF

Mr. Mohammed .D. Abubakar,
Ispector General,
Nigerian Police Force.
Police Headquarters,
Abuja.

Dear Sir,

RE: THE ARREST HUMILIATION, ATTEMPTED MURDER, FRAME UP OF BARR CASELY OMON-IRABOR: OUR CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT/THOROUGH INVESTIGATION THEREOF

We the above named organization wish to bring to your knowledge the incidence leading to the scenario which played out in Delta State both in print and electronic media all over the country since the 13th day of December, 2012.

Sir, Barr Omon-Irabor a vibrant practicing lawyer, highly respected Human Right Activist in the country. He indeed co-ordinate in conjunction with the secretary to Delta State Government to disarm over 120 youths and surrender their guns to the Government to steam the tide criminality including arm robbery and kidnapping in Delta State.

That sometime in August 2012, he (Omon-Irabor) led about 26 Human Rights lawyers to the Delta state Government House Asaba, to meet the state Governor and his Executive council to proffer lasting solution to the problem of kidnapping in Delta State.

That in that meeting there was a sharp disagreement between him (Omon-Irabor) and the commissioner of police (Mr. Aduba Ikechukwu) over the methodology and management of information as regard criminals in delta State, it led to a shouting match that the commissioner of police (Aduba Ikechukwu) promised to deal with him (Omon-Irabor) in the presence of the Governor Dr. E.E. Uduaghan, his Deputy, SSG and Executive council members. The Governor intervened and the issue was believed to have been resolved. The next day, Barr Omon-Irabor went to apologize to the commissioner of police but was denied entry to the police commissioner's office.

Since then, Barr. Omon-Irabor in a small committee headed by SSG has been collaborating with the State Government and the SSS in helping to foil some kidnap attempt and arrest some suspected kidnappers through the help of the Ex-militant of the Niger Delta Liberation Force headed by late John Togo to whom he was a legal adviser.

FRAME UP
He (Omon-Irabor) was in his office when one lady called Patience Vincent Akpokona came to consult him. She complained that her husband was arrested in a general police raid at Effururn Spare Part Market and that she does not know his where about and that a number kept calling her from Area Commander's Office, Warri. So he (Omon-Irabor) went to Area Commander who made inquiries and told him that his people did not arrest any Mr. Vincent Akpokona (Patience Akpokona's husband). He went to A Division Police cell to ask after the name given to him. He also telephoned Ekpan Ebrumede, B Division and Ovwian Police Stations and was told that there is no such person there. He then told the woman to exercise patience. The next day, she came again to say that it was Area Commander Ughelli, he again went there and did not find the Vincent, he than called Supo German (O/C-SARS Ughelli) who said that he should call one Inspector Imana's number which the Supo gave to him. This time, the lady was crying apprehensive that they have killed her husband. He then called Inspector Imana, as soon as he heard his voice, he spoke in his native Esan Language narrating how he was transferred to Lagos and later back to Delta and how he suffered in Lagos. He (Omon-Irabor) asked him if he arrested one Vincent at Effurun Spare part Market some days back, he said yes and he asked him the offence and where he kept the man. He said that it was a general raid and that he was still screening them and would release after that. Meanwhile, when they were looking for this man, he had earlier on phone with Supol Adebayo, O/C SARS in the state who asked him to send him the number they were using to call the woman (his client), he did and he phoned back to say that he is not sure if the people were policemen that as soon as he introduced himself, they switched off their phone. So when he had contacted Imana, he then phoned the O/C SARS again who now confirmed that it was Imana who arrested the man. He then asked of the where about of Vincent, he said he is kept somewhere, he then asked if he is sure the man is still alive, he now said that he doesn't know that the he should know the type of person Imana is. He then asked if he should tell the wife that Vincent was dead, he now said that he should better tell her because even if he is still alive he will soon die because the injuries were severe, that actually it was a case of suspected kidnapping. He then told the wife to call a male member of the family and she called one man who said he is the childhood friend of Vincent, and he told him what O/C SARS said. Then while he was with him O/C SARS called to say that he should go to Ekpan Police Station the next morning to see if he is still alive after which he debriefed himself (Omon-Irabor), the family went to brief another lawyer. Then inspector Imana called him to say that because he is his brother, that is why he wanted to deal with him alone, he now asked him if the boy was still alive. He said Owalen (i.e. elder in Esan Language) this is not a phone matter, please I am coming to see you in your office. The next day he (Omon-Irabor) was busy in Government House Annex, Warri and he put his phone off intermittently. Inspector Imana later called and he was very angry that he came to his former office only to see that he has packed and when he got to the new office, he did not see any of his cars and that he phoned severally, my phone was switched off, or was he setting up. He asked him where he was and he said that his operational base was under Ogunu Bridge by the bridge hotel that he should come and he will wait for him under the bridge. He went to see him and he packed his car by the road near a petrol station under construction and he took him to a near by local bar where he was drinking a bottle of Harp. He explained to him in Esan Language on how he went to Lagos and suffered and how he managed to find himself back to Delta. That this case was a simple one that the boy was still alive and that he will release the boy to the family to go and treat him while he will change the case from kidnapping to a lesser offence and that he needs about two million to do that. He asked him what he was going to tell his authorities, he then asked him if anybody has seen the suspect. He then told him that as a lawyer, he knows he does not have power to release a kidnap suspect. He then laughed and said that he is the one going to write the report. He then told the family what he said (on phone) they now said they can't produce such money. He told him. He now brought out one picture of the boy and said that the boy has built a house, has a jeep and that the last amount he will accept in One Million Naira (N1, 000, 000.00). When he was going into his car, he now told him that if he did not get the money before 12noon tomorrow (December 14th 2012), he will kill the man, that he should not do human right here, whether he doesn't want him to ride jeep like him (Omon-Irabor). He pointed to the bridge and said “brother, you think say na bridge I come look for here”. He went into his car and his driver drove off. He then called his client and told them about the threat. When he woke up the next morning he saw missed calls from both inspector Imana and his client. When he got to the office the woman came with Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N700, 000. 00) asking him to beg the police to accept that, and he told his client that he has no time for her job that he will drop her with Imana while he leaves for other things because he was going to be given award in Abuja on Saturday and he was going with his staff and friends the next morning. So he took the lady in his car along with two members of his staff who were going to do their purchases in the market and they drove to the spot and he saw Imana waiting in the same place the previous day. Imana then directs his driver to drive into a lane and they went into an isolated building. He then told the woman to get down and meet Imana as he was in a hurry; Imana then said that he wants to see him (Omon-Irabor) privately, that he needs to sign recommendation for surety. He came down with the woman, his office manager called Stella. Imana took them into a room and asked the woman about the money, and she brought it out and gave it to Inspector Imana who now gave it to Stella to hold it before calling his police to collect it from Stella and count. Imana now asked the woman to get a cab to carry her husband. He (Omon-Irabor) then asked if this was not to be done at Ekpan. He said he had brought the man there. The woman left the money in custody of Imana, Stella and a police man in uniform. He then told Stella to go the car and she went. He then went out when they started counting the money, then the woman came back with a cab and went in to see Imana, he was going into his car when Stella came back from the car park and said that a policeman said he was calling her. Just then Imana came cleared Omon-Irabor from the ground and hand cuffed him, started shouting, you want to bribe me to release a kidnapper. They went into his car brought his driver and another staff of his and arrested all of them into a waiting van. They started making calls. Imana now came back with a video camera and brought all of them out, scatter the money in their front.

And it will be recalled that when Imana offered to grant the suspect bail. He contacted Adeayo O/C SARS and asked if Imana has such powers, he only said that Imana has not briefed him but however he should co-operate with him.

After the video episode they put him and Stella (now in handcuff) into the van back and drove off with his car carrying his staff behind them to Ekpan Police Station, Imana was making several calls, then he came and gave instruction to three policemen heavily armed, in low tone, they jump into the van and sped off with him while his staff were locked up in his car heavily guarded. They drove through Niger Cat and Army Barrack, then he begged the police seating near him to give him his phone that was ringing the vehicle pinging hole. He looked at him and smile, he then asked the man in front: “make we give am”?, the man said: “Oga when we comot for town that bush near Agbor you go speak with you family even if you wan talk to you ancestors”. He looked at him again with a deceptive smile, at Effurun roundabout near the navy barrack, the front tire of the car developed fault and the driver went down to look at it. The sergeant seating by him then said, “Oga you no do anything to warrant all these, I go take style come down make you run ooh”, he told replied, “oh make you shoot at me tell the world say I dey run”, he said stay there now. The driver returned to the car with some nuts in his hand and said that “only two nut dey hold the front tyre, I no go fit continue this journey, make I go spare parts market go do am e no go tey”. The sergeant now said, “make you tell Oga first”. They now drove into the spare parts market and they locked him up in the van while his two doors were being guarded. He saw a journalist friend greeting the police and his younger brother's friend was standing by them. He just pushed the door opened with force and shouted, “I am Omon-Irabor, they are taking me to an unknown place to kill me, please tell my wife to tell the world”. They were so confused, they drove everybody away from there, seized his brother's friend's phone and detained him, within minutes, calls started coming in. They were blaming the driver and abusing themselves. They now drove him back to Ekpan Police Station where they met Inspector Imana who was obviously mad at them. After several phone calls to and from Imana, they now left Ekpan Police Station to Asaba along with his staff in his car, driving behind them. At Asaba, he was driving to the office of the Commissioner of Police. He was not allowed to come down he then was taken to the office of the O/C SARS. While they quickly told him to tell Warri Bar his ordeal. When the O/C saw him, he was confused, Omon-Irabor said, Adebayo, when you killed somebody years ago, Ikimi wanted to dismiss you from office of the force but I helped you, why did you want to kill me. He said: “Oga, it's not me oh, its instruction from above”. They then took them to a hall where they took their statement; he was then detained in cell 'D' where the officer told them to hang him, but they did not.

ISSUES THAT AROSE:
Was there any kidnap suspect that was to be released through bribery?

Has Vincent Akpokona ever been arrested, investigated or charged for any Kidnapping offence?

Does he have a gang, or belong to any?
Was there any phone or instrument found on him that linked him to the kidnappers?

Why was the ransom paid long after Akpokona was arrested with the so called phone of the victim and yet the police could not stop the ransom form being collected or arrest Vincent's accomplices, if any?

Why did the O/C SARS beg Omon-Irabor to tell the Vincent's family that he was dead when he was still alive?

Why did the police torture Akponona to the extent of breaking his 2 hands and damage his genitals?

Why was he not taken to any police station, but rather, kept in a private uncompleted building till his lawyers started making frantic enquiries?

Why did inspector Imana keep searching for Omon-Irabor everywhere even when there were other lawyers in the matter, begging him to allow his client to bring money so that they can release him on bail for treatment?

Why did the O/C SARS ask Omon-Irabor to go ahead with Imana to arrange the bail so that the suspect can be treated?

Is there really a recorded tape of the discussion between Imana, Omon-Irabor and O/C SARS? If there is a genuine one, please let them produce it to this independent investigator.

The woman, Mrs. Akpokona Patience have seen the state of her dying husband coupled with threat from Imana that if the money is not brought before 12 noon on the 14th of Dec. 2012, they will eliminate her husband as authority was already aware that he was dead. She went about to look for money to save the life of her husband. Can this amount to bribery or extortion or demanding money with menace.

Which woman will watch her husband die when at least she can run around to borrow money to save his life?

Who and who was arrested with Akponkona Vincent and which cell were they kept and how were they released on bail?

How much money did Inspector Imana collect for their bail with the supervision of O/C SARS?

What about the body of the dead man at the scene of arrest, is the man also a kidnapper? If he is who did he kidnap?

Why have the police not prosecuted Vincent Akpokona till now if they have evidence?

While Omon-Irabor was arrested by noon on 13th December, 2012, got to Asaba by 7:30 Pm, made statement till 1:00 am and was arraigned the next morning without investigation, without interview from senior police officer, this is certainly a frame by the SARS and Commissioner of Police.

We urge you most solemnly to retrieve this file from the Court for a proper independent and thorough investigation for that and that alone will lead to the course of justice, equity and fair play.

Much obliged

Yours faithfully,
______________________ _________________________

President, Edo Youth Congress President, South-South youth League

(Comrade Dan Adebame Eichie) (Comrade Omobude Agho)

_____________________ ______________________

President, South-South Ideological Forum President Pan – Nigerian Youth congress

(Comrade Bright Chinule) (Comrade Osaze Edigin)

_______________________ _______________________

President, Voice of the masses National Vice Chairman, Human Rights

(Comrade K Edokpayi) Defenders Organisation of Nigeria

(Comrade John Akpala)

_______________________ ____________________________

President, Movement for Equity and Justice Chairman, Civil Justice Today

(Comrade Oni Faulus) (Comrade & Mrs. Eseosa Efe)

_______________________ ____________________________

President, Nigeria United for Democracy Co-ordinator, Movement Against Police

(Comrade Osadiaye Stanley) Brutality

(Comrade Odigie Jeffrey)

________________________
Chairman, Environmental and Human Right Justice
(Barr. B.A Iluobe)

Cc: Hon. Samson Osagie
[Member, House of Reps]

Hon. Odion Ugbesia
[Senator representing Edo Central]


Prof. Amos Utuama
[Deputy Governor, Delta State]

Mr. Ovuzore .S. Macauley
[SSG. Delta State]

Mr. Aduba Ikechukwu
[Delta State Commissioner of Police]

Mr. Mohammed .D. Abubakar,
[Inspector General of Police]

Rt. Hon. Uyi Igbe
[Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly]

Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei
[Speaker Delta State House of Assembly]

By Marxist Kola