Ripples as police keep Bayelsa LM candidate in detention

Condemnation has trailed continuous detention of the Liberation Movement (LM) candidate in the last Bayelsa Governorship election, Mr. Vijah Opuama, by police.

Investigations revealed that Opuama, who was arrested within the premises of the election petition tribunal in Abuja on August 15 by a team reportedly from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), had spent 13 days in custody.

Opuama was arrested shortly after he arrived to hear the judgment of the tribunal in a case he filed seeking the disqualification of the Bayelsa Deputy Governor, Lawrence Ewhrujakpo, over alleged document forgery.

Though the case was dismissed by the tribunal, the candidate was forced out of his vehicle by the police, who handcuffed him and whisked him away to their office in Abuja.

The Vijah Opuama Campaign Alliance (VOCA) in a statement signed by its Director-General, Tuebi Sapere-Obi, lamented Opuama was being illegally detained under unfavourable human conditions by the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit at Force Headquarters in Abuja.

Sapere-Obi accused the police of colluding with the Bayelsa State Government to keep Opuama in detention till the expiration of the period allowed by the law to appeal his case against Ewhrujakpo.

He said: “We maintain that Opuama has not committed any crime known to law to warrant his continued detention. We call on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the men of the IGP Monitoring Unit.

“We call on Bayelsans and well-meaning Nigerians to hold the current administration of Bayelsa State and the Nigeria Police Force responsible should anything untoward happen to Opuama as his team of lawyers continues to explore all legal means to put an end to this show of executive rascality.”

Also, a Civil Society Organisation, Patriotism Advancement and Community Orientation Network (PACON), wondered why the police had refused to grant him bail.

The Co-Convener, PACON, Debekeme Powedei, said the only reason for his detention was to prevent him from pursuing his appeal against the judgment of the lower court.

Poweidei said: “The police have refused to grant Opuama bail despite the fact that the alleged offence for which he was arrested is bailable.

“We wonder why the government of Bayelsa State is afraid of the petition filed by Vijah Opuama and the evidence he has if the government knows it has no skeleton in its cupboard. Opuama is being kept in the most inhuman and degrading condition and stands the risk of detoriating healthwise.

“Opuama’s continuous detention is having negative impact on his family being their breadwinner.

“We at Patriotism Advancement and Community Orientation Network, a civil liberty organisation demand that the Chief of Staff to Bayelsa State Governor withdraw his petition against Opuama and order his cronies at the IGP Monitoring Unit to release Opuama with immediate effect.”

Efforts to get the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief Benson Agadaga, to respond to allegations proved abortive.

He didn’t pick calls or responded to text message to his mobile phone.

Also contacted, the Police Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba, promised to verify the matter and get back with details but he was yet to get back days after before this report is published.

SOURCE: NATION

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