.. CUPP WANTS POLICE IG TO RELEASE DETAINED JOURNALIST IMMEDIATELY OR
CHARGE HIM TO COURT.
… CUPP FINGERS BUHARI MINISTER JEDY AGBA AND POLICE IGP IN THE
ABDUCTION AND DETENTION OF JOURNALIST UHIA IN SECRET CELL FOR WEEKS
WITHOUT TRIAL,SAYS IT IS SIGN BUHARI AND IGP NOT WILLING TO END POLICE
BRUTALITY.
… CUPP TO FILE SUIT TO FREE JOURNALIST IF NOT RELEASED IMMEDIATELY OR
CHARGED TO COURT.
The Nigerian Opposition Coalition CUPP has condemned the abduction and
continued illegal detention of the Publisher of Power Steering Magazine,
Oga Tom Uhia by the police on orders of the IGP and Minister of State
for Power, Jedy Agba for weeks without trial.
The journalist was picked up by security agents on October 13th, 2020,
and had since been kept in secret detention cell since then without
access to hos family, lawyers or doctors. The journalist is also yet to
be charged to court till date.
CUPP totally condemns this actions by Mr. Agba and the IGP of Police.
Detaining Uhia without trial is clear abuse of power and sign that the
much talked about police reform is a joke.
If the Minister believes that he has been defamed by an alleged
publication made by Mr. Uhia in his Magazine, then he should seek legal
redress through the courts rather than using the police to arrest the
journalist and detain him indefinitely. This is Police brutality,
impunity and abuse of office by both the Inspector-Generaland the
Minister. They do not have the right to detain a citizen who was only
doing his job. After all it is the media’s constitutionally guaranteed
role to hold the government and its officials accountable to the people.
This detention of Uhia in secret cells for weeks without trial also
clearly shows that President Buhari and the Inspector General of Police
are not willing to end police brutality and carry out any comprehensive
Police reform.
At a time when the country is in great disarray, at a time when citizens
are still reeling from what has been one of the country’s darkest hours
since its independence in October 1960, following the massacre of
innocent protesters at Lekki tollgate and amid continued cries for
disbandment of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) unit of the Nigeria
Police Force, a serving minister who is supposed to be making a
difference and showing commitment to the government’s so called plan to
end police brutality is rather oppressing the citizen and denying his
right to press freedom and liberty.
We call on the IGP to unconditionally release Mr Uhia immediately or
chargehim to Court. We are giving the IGP an ultimatum of 48 hours. We
are going to file a suit to free the journalist if not released
immediately from his unconstitutional, unlawful and illegal detention.
