ANAMBRA SHOW OF SHAME CONTINUES AS POLICE DEBASE JUDICIARY!!! # STORM COURT AND DISCHARGED SUSPECTS BEFORE A SITTING MAGISTRATE AT GUN POINT. There is strong indication that the strong hands of Abuja are still on the Nigeria Police as represented by the Imo State Police Command and its police commissioner is clearly out for mischief by the way it is handling the case of election observers from Justice and Equality Organisation that were arrested in Owerri on Thursday 14th November, 2013 in the premises of Disney Hotel. Barely twenty minutes of the arrest and even before interrogating the arrested person, the Commissioner of Police has gathered the whole media world to a press conference and paraded the election observers as hired hoodlums that were armed with guns, charms and fake voters’ card with a view to disrupting governorship election to be held in Anambra State. Notwithstanding the haste by the police to sensationalise the arrest of the legitimate observers who have established that their organization is duly accredited to observe the elections and confirmed by INEC, the Imo State Police command had kept the arrested 182 persons in detention and only brought them to court on Monday, 18th November, 2013 with a three count charge; conspiracy to commit misdemeanour, to wit, unlawful assembly; unlawful assembly and conduct likely to breach peace. While it is expected that having brought the alleged suspects before a magistrate court on the charges above, the Imo State Police Command will allow the judicial system to follow its due course. Rather, men and officers of the Imo State police command acted in a manner than call into question their motive behind their actions. Shortly before the case was called, the police suddenly seize and took away some of the suspects and when this came to the knowledge of the lawyers representing the observers; it was raised by them before the presiding magistrates. After some arguments between the lawyers of the observers and Police Officer in Charge of Legal (OC Legal), the magistrate ruled that it will stand the matter down for two hours so that the remaining suspects could be produced before the court. It was at this point that the OC Legal let loose in the court when he stated that he is returning all the accused to police cell and right in the presence of the presiding magistrate brought out his gun, corked it and directed about twenty other gun-wielding policemen to enter the premises. These policemen wielding and cocking their gun right in the presence of the magistrate and other lawyers took away the remaining suspects in court. Notwithstanding that the magistrate stood down the matter for just two hours and the proceeding ought to resume by 1.30 p.m. the police refused to come back before the magistrate or produced any of the suspects. After waiting in vain for about two hours and for fear of his life the magistrate had to adjourn the case to December, 6. It is clear that the Imo State police command deliberately decided to bring the hallowed chamber of the magistrate court and indeed the entire judiciary into ridicule with a view to denying the suspects their right to being granted bail. All the senior lawyers at the court expressed utmost shock at the sordid development, noting that they have never witnessed such an incident in recent history, not even at the height of military rule. As it were, even though the three counts in respect of which the observers were charged are clearly bailable offence, we have it on good authority that the intention of the Police, acting on ‘orders from above’ was to continue to detain, intimidate and harass the observers so that they can be forced after turning down offers to cajole them to make incriminating statements which the police are looking to rope in opposition politicians in the All Progressive Congress. Meanwhile, the initial allegations of guns, charms and fake voters cards have all disappeared from the police charges contrary to police’s initial sensational press briefing.
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:16:54 +0000
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