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