A federal high court in Abuja has ordered Mohammed Adamu,
the inspector-general of police, to produce Vijah Opuama, a governorship candidate
in the November 2019 Bayelsa state election, who has been detained by the
police since August 15, 2020.
Opuama, candidate of the Liberation Movement (LM), was one
of those who petitioned the Bayelsa state governorship election petitions
tribunal seeking the removal of Douye Diri, governor of the state.
Opuama had contended that Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, deputy
governor of the state, forged his declaration of age and National Youth Service
Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate to enable him contest the election.
His petition was, however, dismissed by the tribunal for
lacking merit.
The governorship candidate was said to have been arrested by
the police within the premises of the tribunal in Abuja, on August 15, 2020,
while waiting for judgment to be delivered on his petition.
In a ruling on an ex parte application moved by Michael
Odey, his lawyer, the IGP was ordered to produce Opuama before the court on
Wednesday, September 2, 2020.
Delivering his ruling on Monday, Taiwo Taiwo, the presiding
judge, said although the truthfulness of the applicant’s claims cannot be
verified until the police respond to the allegations, the police ought not to
have detained Opuama beyond 24 hours without granting him administrative bail
or charging him with an offence before any court of competent jurisdiction as
provided for in the constitution.
Taiwo said the IGP would have to show cause why the detainee
should not be released unconditionally.
Meanwhile, in a supporting affidavit deposed to by
Ebikoboere Amaebi, Opuama’s wife, she narrated how she was struck when “some
unidentified men” allegedly arrested her husband at Wuse Zone 6 magistrates
court, Abuja.
She said when she tried to inquire the reason for her
husband’s arrest, some men hit her “hard” and caused her “severe pain, anguish,
and suffering”.
“I have been losing blood since then and I am apprehensive
that I may lose my pregnancy over that kick by the police officers that came to
arrest my husband, the applicant,” she stated.
“The applicant was arrested that day and whisked away by the
police officers who we later understood are from the office of the 2nd
respondent and directly instructed by the 1st and 2nd (assistant commissioner
of police heading the IGP’s monitoring unit) respondents to effect the arrest.”
She added that her husband did not even get the privilege of
listening to the outcome of his petition.
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