Alleged detention: Gov. Chime's wife gave me a brief, Falana declares

Lagos lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), in a statement on Thursday stated that he was actually briefed by the wife of Governor Sullivian Chime of Enugu State, Clara, for legal assistance to secure her release from an alleged illegal detention at the Government House, Enugu.

Falana insisted that Chime's denial of detaining his wife was diversionary, alleging that the governor was only attempting to justify 'the illegality' by claiming that his wife had a medical challenge.

Falana stated, 'With respect to  Mrs. Clara Chime, I wish to say, without any fear of contradiction, that I have her instructions in writing to challenge her illegal detention at the Government House, Enugu.

'Through the assistance of some of the security personnel in the Government House, she has since spoken to me on phone to confirm her instructions. Indeed, Mrs. Chime's  mother and her personal physician have also been in touch with me urging me to take all appropriate measures to secure her freedom from Governor Chime's illegal confinement.

'From his nocturnal  press conference, Governor Chime confirmed the allegation that he had held his wife in illegal custody. He attempted to justify the illegality by alleging that his wife has 'a medical challenge'.

'When Governor Chime  was recently medically challenged, he was not subjected to solitary confinement  in the Government House but flown abroad for adequate medical treatment.

'But Mr. Chime has conspired with his private physicians to sentence his wife to unwarranted mental torture and psychological trauma in a room in the Government House for the past four months. If Mr. Chime's claim is correct that the wife is non compos mentis, when was the Enugu Government House converted to a psychiatric hospital?'

The lawyer also demanded that the governor should 'release his wife from illegal custody and be warned not to divert attention from the brutal abuse of the rights'.

Chime had on Wednesday, in company with Clara, her doctor and other relatives, denied detaining his wife, saying she was only kept indoors due to her health challenges.

Clara, who also managed to speak while addressing journalists at the Government House, had also denied hiring the services of Falana to seek her freedom from the alleged house arrest.

She had also denied sending any petition to the National Human Rights Commission alleging unlawful detention by her husband.