A lecturer with the University of Benin (Uniben), Ishaq S. D. Osagie-Eweka, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, urging him to investigate his unlawful arrest and detention by the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Dankwara.
Osagie-Eweka, through his counsel, B. A. Iluobe, in a petition addressed to the Executive Secretary, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), alleged that his client was arrested at a car wash in Benin City where he had gone to show a letter seeking a right for the lawful gathering of his friends.
Iluobe said that his client was invited by a friend, Osazuwa Osakpolor, to help them take a cursory look at some documents for onward transmission to the Commissioner of Police (CP), Edo State.
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He said the content of the documents included a letter addressed to the CP seeking approval for lawful gathering, a copy of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration document of their organisation, a copy of the constitution of the organisation; among others, for the CP’s attention.
He further said that his client was arrested by the police on the alleged directive of the Commissioner of Police, taken to his house where they ransacked everywhere and later paraded him before the media.
He noted that the action of the Commissioner of Police violated the fundamental human rights of his client.
The petition reads in part: “If no element linking our client and others to criminality was recovered from our client’s residence, what is the rationale for his arrest, unlawful detention; parade before the press and subsequent charge before the law court?
“The Nigerian Police Force is by this petition given 48 hours from the date of the receipt of this petition to address the abusive and unprofessional conducts of CP Mohammed Adamu Dankwara on the person of our client or face legal action.”
When contacted, the Edo state police command’s spokesperson, said he was not aware of the petition but promised to get back to our reporter.
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