The Nigeria Police Force through the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the state criminal investigation department in Anambra State command has reportedly obtained a secret court order to continue the arbitrary detention and torture of two Anambra community youth leaders after SaharaReporters reported their illegal detention without trial.
SaharaReporters had reported that people of Nnadi Nsude in Anambra East local government area of Anambra State decried the arrest and detention of youths - Chidi Akudo and Charles Obodoechina by operatives of the Anambra Command of Nigeria Police Force without committing any offence since November 13, 2022.
It reported that the community stated that the “offence” of the two youths was that they obeyed the elders of the community to clear bushes along the power line that brought electricity to the community after two years in darkness; “so that our people can celebrate the Christmas and New Year with light.”
The community in a Save-Our-Soul (SOS) sent to SaharaReporters, stated that the decision to clear bushes along the power line that brought electricity to the community was after their youths living in diaspora contributed money to pay the Enugu Electricity Distribution PLC and restore light to the community.
They felt that since the community was without electricity for two years, it was wise to clear bushes that had already encroached on electric poles.
The community said they were surprised that while the youths were clearing the bushes along the electricity line, some thugs used by one Senator Alphonsus Igbeke aka Ubanesse and some policemen from 3-3 Police Station swooped on the youths and injured some. “While most of them escaped, Ubanesse's thugs grabbed the two leaders of the youth and handed over to the policemen which the Senator brought.
“They were first detained at 3-3 police station for three days before transferring them to State CID Awka. Till today these boys have not been granted bail or charged to court. What is their offence? The police said that Senator Igbeke ordered that they should be charged for vandalising EEDC property. The youths did not vandalise EEDC property. We have tried everything possible to bail them, but Ubanesse uses his connection to intimidate us.
“After transferring them to the State CID, our elders and women visited the commissioner of police to release those boys but instead they were referred to the deputy commissioner of police in-charge of the state criminal investigation department. The deputy commissioner has refused to release our youths despite several appeals. He has also refused to charge them to court either because Senator Igbeke hasn’t directed so.”
However, SaharaReporters reliably gathered on Monday that shortly after SaharaReporters published the arbitrary detention and torture of the two youth leaders, the DCP State CID, Anambra Command went to one of judges’ chambers without proper arraignment and obtained an order to legitimise the continued detention of duo without trial.
A police source told SaharaReporters that consequent upon the illegal detention and torture of the youth leaders without trial or granting them bail, the community on December 16, 2022 petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, calling for his intervention.
The IGP immediately, minuted the petition to IGP Monitoring Team to investigate the circumstances surrounding their arrest and detention without trial.
The source informed the SaharaReporters that the IG Monitoring Team thereafter swung into action and on Thursday, December 22, a team of investigators came to Anambra to transfer the case to Abuja.
"After they got clearance from CP office, proceeded to DC State CID office to get his clearance so they could transfer the case. Surprisingly, the DCP told the team that the case is in court. That they are detained on court order in police custody since November 13."
The source added, that when the team sought to see the court order or charge against the Youths, the team was told that the case file had been transferred to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). "When the team sought to know why the suspects were still in police custody when the case file had been transferred to DPP; and why the court remanded them in police custody instead of Custodial Centre they could not provide any logical and convincing explanations."
The source stated, "From investigation so far, the corresponding mails from Force Headquarters to the CP were forwarded to Senator Igbeke who forwarded same to the Petitioner, telling him that he was in control of the matter."
"The community and relations of the detained youth leaders have voiced concerns that if something urgent was not taken they (youth leaders) may disappear like eight youths including teenagers arrested on instruction of Senator Igbeke and disappeared since 2001," the source told SaharaReporters.