October 23, 2008
PRESS RELEASE ON THE CONTINUED ILLEGAL DETENTION OF MR JONATHAN ELENDU
Update:
Gentlemen good evening
Attached to this mail is a press release from me on the continued detention of Mr. Jonathan Elendu. Unfortunately events have taken a sinister turn because I visited the headquarters of the SSS this evening and was told that Mr. Elendu was released this afternoon but till this moment his whereabouts is still undetermined and the when I inquired as to whom he was released to, I was told that he was released and that is all even though I had received a call earlier from the SSS office that they were looking for me to release him to me which prompted my visit to the office. Gentlemen I implore you to use your organizations to ask about the whereabouts of Mr. Elendu. It is Mr. Elendu today, it could be anyone else tomorrow.
Thank you
Ugo Muoma- Further enquiries can directed to me via email or 08059264882
Mr Jonathan Elendu was accosted by men of the state security service and the Nigerian immigration service on his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport from the United States of America on Saturday 18th of October 2008.
His international passport and luggage’s were confiscated. He called his lawyer Mr Ugo Muoma who immediately went to the airport when he emerged from the arrival hall. His lawyer asked the SS officer what the problem was and if he was under arrest; they said there was no problem but that they were asked to invite him to their office for routine questioning.
Mr Muoma asked the officers to allow Mr Elendu to come to their office on Monday 20th October 2008 and that they could hold on to his passport till he honours their invitation. But they [the SSS men] refused and subsequently took Mr Elendu to their headquarters at Aso Drive, Asokoro, Abuja.
Between the 20th of October and today I have visited the SSS headquarters over 10 times, and I have written a formal request for his release and an application for a legal visit and up till this time none of these letters have been answered.
On the 21/10/08, we filled an application for redress for the infringement of Mr Elendu’s fundamental right at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Jonathan Elendu V 1.State security service (SSS)
2.Director general SSS and 3. Attorney General of the federation
Suit No. FHC/ABJ/M/598/2008.
The suit is seeking amongst others a declaration that the arrest and detention of Mr Elendu is an infringement of his fundamental Human rights as enshrined and protected by S .S 35(1), (4) and (5) and 34 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution of FRN.
A mandatory order directing the respondents to release Mr Elendu from detention forthwith. We believe the judiciary (the last hope of the common man) will exhibit the courage we have come to expect from it to call the SSS to order because their activities over the past month against the media leave a lot to be desired.
The closure of channels over a report that needed nothing more than a rebuttal from the presidency and Mr Elendu’s arrest and detention without charge are acts of mere intimidation against the media and without a check could culminate into an all out assault by the state security agencies against the media.
The SSS is a well funded organization and their resort to illegal closure and arrests and detentions reeks of incompetence of the agency in executing its duties. If they need to arrest and detain an individual for a week without charging the individual to court, then they didn’t do any preliminary investigations before the arrest and are now using intimidation as an investigative tool.
Every well meaning Nigerian should raise their voice against acts that only remind us of our military past when indiscriminate arrests and detentions were the order of the day.
As for speculations that these arrests are as a result of the recent leaks within the presidency, the presidency should make changes within itself to stop leakages and not arrest investigative journalists who expose their indiscretions.
Ugo Muoma Esq (counsel to Mr Jonathan Elendu)
Update:
Gentlemen good evening
Attached to this mail is a press release from me on the continued detention of Mr. Jonathan Elendu. Unfortunately events have taken a sinister turn because I visited the headquarters of the SSS this evening and was told that Mr. Elendu was released this afternoon but till this moment his whereabouts is still undetermined and the when I inquired as to whom he was released to, I was told that he was released and that is all even though I had received a call earlier from the SSS office that they were looking for me to release him to me which prompted my visit to the office. Gentlemen I implore you to use your organizations to ask about the whereabouts of Mr. Elendu. It is Mr. Elendu today, it could be anyone else tomorrow.
Thank you
Ugo Muoma- Further enquiries can directed to me via email or 08059264882
Mr Jonathan Elendu was accosted by men of the state security service and the Nigerian immigration service on his arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport from the United States of America on Saturday 18th of October 2008.
His international passport and luggage’s were confiscated. He called his lawyer Mr Ugo Muoma who immediately went to the airport when he emerged from the arrival hall. His lawyer asked the SS officer what the problem was and if he was under arrest; they said there was no problem but that they were asked to invite him to their office for routine questioning.
Mr Muoma asked the officers to allow Mr Elendu to come to their office on Monday 20th October 2008 and that they could hold on to his passport till he honours their invitation. But they [the SSS men] refused and subsequently took Mr Elendu to their headquarters at Aso Drive, Asokoro, Abuja.
Between the 20th of October and today I have visited the SSS headquarters over 10 times, and I have written a formal request for his release and an application for a legal visit and up till this time none of these letters have been answered.
On the 21/10/08, we filled an application for redress for the infringement of Mr Elendu’s fundamental right at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Jonathan Elendu V 1.State security service (SSS)
2.Director general SSS and 3. Attorney General of the federation
Suit No. FHC/ABJ/M/598/2008.
The suit is seeking amongst others a declaration that the arrest and detention of Mr Elendu is an infringement of his fundamental Human rights as enshrined and protected by S .S 35(1), (4) and (5) and 34 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution of FRN.
A mandatory order directing the respondents to release Mr Elendu from detention forthwith. We believe the judiciary (the last hope of the common man) will exhibit the courage we have come to expect from it to call the SSS to order because their activities over the past month against the media leave a lot to be desired.
The closure of channels over a report that needed nothing more than a rebuttal from the presidency and Mr Elendu’s arrest and detention without charge are acts of mere intimidation against the media and without a check could culminate into an all out assault by the state security agencies against the media.
The SSS is a well funded organization and their resort to illegal closure and arrests and detentions reeks of incompetence of the agency in executing its duties. If they need to arrest and detain an individual for a week without charging the individual to court, then they didn’t do any preliminary investigations before the arrest and are now using intimidation as an investigative tool.
Every well meaning Nigerian should raise their voice against acts that only remind us of our military past when indiscriminate arrests and detentions were the order of the day.
As for speculations that these arrests are as a result of the recent leaks within the presidency, the presidency should make changes within itself to stop leakages and not arrest investigative journalists who expose their indiscretions.
Ugo Muoma Esq (counsel to Mr Jonathan Elendu)
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