IGP Petitioned Over Alleged Harassment Of Bishop By The Police-SERAP

A civil society group, Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr Ogbonna Onovo over alleged harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Adebisi Olisa, who is the Bishop of the Christ Army Church of Nigeria, Lagos Diocese, urging him to “urgently begin a thorough and efficient investigation into allegations of harassment on the basis of apparently false information given to the police by one Promise Isaiah Dibie, who is a disrobed venerable, Arch deacon in the church.” 

In a petition dated 29 July 2010, and signed by SERAP’s Staff Attorney, Ms Ugochi Okpe, the organization said that, “According to our information, Mr Promise Isaiah Dibie, used and bribed the police by providing it with false information that Rt Rev Olisa was involved in alleged plans to ‘kidnap’ him and two other persons, and caused the police to unlawfully arrest and detain Rt Rev Olisa for several days without charge or trial. Rt Rev Olisa was arrested on the 4th of July 2010 on his way home from church where he had celebrated his 70th birthday anniversary; and detained at the Ajeromi police station, Lagos.” 

The group also said that, “Rt Rev Olisa was not informed of the charges against him and was not informed of his right to a lawyer. While still being denied access to a lawyer, he was later driven in a police hired vehicle to Agbor police station, Delta State from where he was moved to the State CID, Asaba, Delta State. He remained in detention for several days and the police failed and/or neglected to inform him of the charges against him or to release him on bail, apparently acting on the instruction from Mr Promise Isaiah Dibie. Rt Rev Olisa was only released after Mr Dibie ‘was satisfied that he had taught him some lessons.’  Although he was the ‘complainant’, Mr Dibie also volunteered to be a ‘surety’ to bail Rt Rev Olisa from police custody.”

“We are seriously concerned about allegations that the police was used to harass and victimize innocent citizen on the basis of false information. The harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Olisa is a violation of his internationally recognized fair trial rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party,” the group further stated.

The group said that “We note that Mr. Dibie had been disrobed as a venerable Arch deacon of the church on allegations of negligence of duties, insubordination, and disloyalty and that this may have informed his retaliatory action to use and bribe the police to unlawfully arrest and detain Rt Rev Olisa on allegations of ‘kidnapping’.”

The group therefore urged Mr Onovo to “use your leadership and position” to:

1. Ensure that the police stop further harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Olisa on the basis of false information given to the police by Mr. Dibie 

2. Urgently and thoroughly investigate allegations of harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Olisa by the police, and bring to justice suspected perpetrators

3. Investigate allegations of providing false information against Mr. Dibie 

“We hope that you will act promptly on the above requests, and that you will ensure that justice is done in this case. We are leaving open the possibility of pursuing a legal action should the police fail and/or neglect to diligently address the concerns raised above,” the group further added.

Signed

Ms Ugochi Okpe

SERAP Staff Attorney

29/7/2010

..…..

Mr Ogbonna Onovo

The Inspector General of Police

Nigeria Police Headquarters

Abuja

29th July 2010

Dear Sir:

Re: Request to investigate allegations of harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Adebisi Olisa by the Police 

Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project, (SERAP) is writing to request you to urgently begin a thorough and efficient investigation into allegations of harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Adebisi Olisa, who is the Bishop of the Christ Army Church of Nigeria, Lagos Diocese, by the police on the basis of apparently false information given to the police by one Promise Isaiah Dibie, who is a disrobed venerable, Arch deacon in the church. 

SERAP is a human rights non- governmental organization whose mandate includes promoting transparency and accountability in public and private sectors through human rights. 

According to our information, Mr Promise Isaiah Dibie, used and bribed the police by providing it with false information that Rt Rev Olisa was involved in alleged plans to ‘kidnap’ him and two other persons, and caused the police to unlawfully arrest and detain Rt Rev Olisa for several days without charge or trial. Rt Rev Olisa was arrested on the 4th of July 2010 on his way home from church where he had celebrated his 70th birthday anniversary; and detained at the Ajeromi police station, Lagos. 

Rt Rev Olisa was not informed of the charges against him and was not informed of his right to a lawyer. While still being denied access to a lawyer, he was later driven in a police hired vehicle to Agbor police station, Delta State from where he was moved to the State CID, Asaba, Delta State. He remained in detention for several days and the police failed and/or neglected to inform him of the charges against him or to release him on bail, apparently acting on the instruction from Mr Promise Isaiah Dibie. Rt Rev Olisa was only released after Mr Dibie ‘was satisfied that he had taught him some lessons.’  Although he was the ‘complainant’, Mr Dibie also volunteered to be a ‘surety’ to bail Rt Rev Olisa from police custody.

We are seriously concerned about allegations that the police was used to harass and victimize innocent citizen on the basis of false information. The harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Olisa is a violation of his internationally recognized fair trial rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Nigeria is a state party.

We note that Mr. Dibie had been disrobed as a venerable Archdeacon of the church on allegations of negligence of duties, insubordination, and disloyalty and that this may have informed his retaliatory action to use and bribe the police to unlawfully arrest and detain Rt Rev Olisa on allegations of ‘kidnapping’.

We therefore urge you to use your leadership and position to:

1. Ensure that the police stop further harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Olisa on the basis of false information given to the police by Mr. Dibie 

2. Urgently and thoroughly investigate allegations of harassment and victimization of Rt Rev Olisa by the police, and bring to justice suspected perpetrators

3. Investigate allegations of providing false information against Mr. Dibie 

We hope that you will act promptly on the above requests, and that you will ensure that justice is done in this case. We are leaving open the possibility of pursuing a legal action should the police fail and/or neglect to diligently address the concerns raised above.

We look forward to receiving from you information regarding the steps you have taken to address the issues raised above.

Yours Sincerely,

Ugochi Okpe (Mrs.)