Femi Falana, human rights lawyer,
has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to order the release of 40 Nigerians who
have been in “illegal custody” of the Nigerian navy.
In a letter on Sunday, the senior
advocate of Nigeria (SAN) said the individuals had been arrested and imprisoned
without being arraigned in court.
We had earlier reported how
the detainees including Dada Labinjo, a navy captain, and Sherifat Ibe Lambert
(also known as Mrs Bola Labinjo), a lt. commander, have been in detention since
September 2018 for an undisclosed offence.
Falana had earlier called on
Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), to take action
against the naval authorities over the “violations of the fundamental rights of
the detainees”.
He said the naval authorities had
obtained a remand warrant from a magistrate’s court in Apapa, Lagos, but after
three months of incarceration without any criminal charges filed against the
detainees, the court reviewed their case on January 7, 2019, and ordered that
they should be released immediately.
In his letter, the lawyer said
the “unlawful detention” contravened sections of the 1999 constitution and the
African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights Ratification and Enforcement.
“We have received complaints from
the family members of 40 Nigerian citizens who are being detained without trial
on the orders of the Authorities of the
Nigerian Navy,” the letter read.
“It may interest Your Excellency
to know that the detainees have been held incommunicado in dehumanising
conditions for periods ranging from six to eight months.
“In fact, some of the detainees
are incarcerated in an underground military detention facility in Abuja while
others are held inside one of the vessels impounded by the Nigerian Navy in
Marina, Lagos.
“The detainees have been subjected to mental,
psychological and physical torture contrary to the provisions of the Anti
Torture Act, 2017.
“Furthermore, in utter contempt
of court the authorities of the Nigerian Navy have defied valid and subsisting
orders of competent courts for the unconditional release of some of the
detainees.
“Apart from such contemptuous
conduct the Nigerian Navy recently denied knowledge of the whereabouts of the
15 detainees held in a detention facility
in Abuja.
“As soon as we pointed out
that the remand order procured by the
Nigerian Navy for the detention of the 15 detainees had been quashed by the
Chief Magistrate Court in Apapa, Lagos State the Naval Authorities turned round
to file criminal charges against 5 of them before a Court Martial.
“Since all the detainees are
entitled to their fundamental rights to dignity and liberty guaranteed by
sections 34 and 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999
as amended and articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples
Rights Ratification and Enforcement Act (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of
Nigeria, 2004, we urge Your Excellency to direct the Chief Naval Staff, Vice
Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, to either release the detainees from unlawful
custody or arraign them in court without any further delay.
“In view of the fact that the
illegal detention of the 40 Nigerian citizens for several months without trial has exposed the Federal
Government to unwarranted embarrassment the Chief of Naval Staff ought to be
sanctioned by Your Excellency.”
Below is a list of all the
detainees:
- Captain Dada Labinjo,
- Lt. Commander Sherifat Ibe Lamber
- Benjamin Gold
- Peter Pulle,
- Pius Paul,
- Onoja Reuben,
- Adeleke Adewale,
- Labinjo Kehinde,
- Ogunmoyero Oluwasehun,
- Emmanuel Oputa,
- Innocent Sunday,
- Iejoro Friday,
- Hamza Yakubu,
- Segun Yusuf.
- Master-Melvin Jack
- Chief Mate-Adebayo Mayoma
- Chief Mate- Francis Oneyema
- 2nd Eng-Godwill Umoh
- Bosin-Miebaka Iyala
- Elect 2-Edu Fidelis
- Elect 2-Richard David
- Camp Boss-Daniel Harrison
- Asaiki Okeoghene
- AB 1-Omogoye Bolaji
- AB 2-Victor Uchendu
- AB 3-Oloyede Ademola
- Oiler-Simon Onyisi Mike
- Eng cadet-Udom Victor Jerome
- Godwin Etiaka Ojodusi
- Sixtus Ganabel
- Owei Ukuto
- Jeremiah Victor
- Collins Joel
- Augustine Omonisa
- MV Akemijo Deborah
- Mike Simeon
- Umoren Daniel
- James Archibong
- Umon Godswill Emmanuel
- MT Adeline Jumbo
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