The monarch and others were detained by the state Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu for nearly three weeks without presenting them to court for any offence, SaharaReporters reports.
An Igala socio-cultural organisation, the Ane Igala Restoration Network (AIR), has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, over the humiliation and unlawful detention of 20 leaders of the Igga Kingdom in the Uzo-Uwani Council Area of Enugu State including the traditional ruler, Igwe Herbert Ukuta.
The monarch and others were detained by the state Commissioner of Police, Kanayo Uzuegbu for nearly three weeks without presenting them to court for any offence, SaharaReporters reports.
The petition dated May 17, addressed to the Inspector General of Police, and copied O/C Legal, Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, was signed by Salifu Oguche Usman, Esq, for the law firm of R.R. Adejo-Andrew & CO.
Tagged: "Complaint over the extra judicial displacement and destruction of the people of Igga kingdom, the unlawful detention and humiliation of HRH, Igwe Herbert Ukuta, the Igwe Agbarakata of Igga Kingdom in Uzo-Uwani LGA, Enugu by the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command. Request for intervention and release," the group said that the arrest of the community leaders was not based on facts of any culpability but based on prejudiced reports.
"We are Solicitors to Ane Igala Restoration Network, (AIR) an Igala socio-cultural organization specifically commissioned by the Atta Igala to pursue and promote the restoration of Igala-Land and people in love and unity, bringing together all Igalas cutting across several states of the Federation of Nigeria (hereinafter referred to as our Client) on whose behalf and express instruction we act and make this complaint."
Giving detailed explanation of the situation in the community, the petitioner explained, "Our Client’s ordeal or that of her people in Igga Community began sometimes in February 2024 when the Adanni community, a neighbouring Igbo community to Igga was attacked by Fulani Herdsmen and a number of persons were killed and properties were destroyed.
"This state of affairs caused confusion and pandemonium in the area with some section of the Adanni community suspecting complicity on the part of the Igga people owing to some ancient animosity bothering on land disputes and such boundary related conflicts.
"Sir, the foregoing situation has resulted into recrimination and counter recriminations, reprisal attacks which has further attracted the attention of other security risk organisations thus culminating into the death of some security personnel, in other words, the security situation in the Local Government Area has become some volatile putting lives and properties of citizens in serious jeopardy.
"In the midst of the foregoing unfortunate situation, the Nigeria Police Force under the leadership of the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command relying of prejudiced reports from leading political figures in the area carried out a whole scale arrest of members of the Igga community and in that process, several members of the Igga community including the Igwe Agbarakati of Igga, Igwe Herbert Ukuta.
"Sir, may we add that the arrest of the people of Igga on this account was based on falsehood and malice from quarters that are higher in societal standing. In all, about 20 persons have been arrested and detained for a period of two weeks running under very pitiable condition as they are constantly subjected to all forms of humiliation, harassment including ethnic profiling and shaming all without any formal charge been preferred against them or disclosed to them."
Igala socio-cultural organisation maintained that it was unlawful the continued detention of the monarch and his subjects by the police commissioner in Enugu. The treatment they said violates the "fundamental rights of the detainees as enshrined under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended and also under the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Rights as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights."
They regretted that while the leadership of the community were being detained the police commissioner deployed a combined team of Police and the Military who carried out series of attack on the Igga community which has resulted into the death of scores and the displacement of the people from their homes and ancestral.
"May we add that in the horror of the foregoing, the Military deployed a huge detachment of personnel to the community to occupy the community and some strange persons have been deployed there to carry out huge construction activities on the ancestral land of the Igga people while having them displaced.
"Sir, the people of Iggah aside having their Igwe arrested, humiliated and brutalized alongside community leaders, have been forcefully displaced from their ancestral home and same is under military occupation and construction presently."
The group lamented that the treatments been met to the Igga people all for the single fact that there are a minority in an Igbo State is grossly unfounded under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and under the African Charter on Human and People’s Right as well as the Universal Declaration of Rights.
They, however, demanded: "That you promptly order that the matter bothering on the crisis in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State with all the attending arrested persons be transferred to the Force Headquarters, Abuja for a thorough, fair, transparent and efficient investigation.
"That you direct the relevant officers to promptly admit the detainees to administrative bail under such just and reasonable conditions pending the conclusion of investigation into the matter.
"That you direct the immediate evacuation of the military and the Police from the land of Igga and avail the people of Igga the protection required to return to their homes and ancestral land.
"That upon conclusion of investigation, that you cause all persons found complicity in the crisis to be prosecuted and made to face the full wrought of the law.
"That you advise the Federal Government of Nigeria in establishing measures that will enhance the protection of minority rights in states of the Federation where there are preponderance of violation and suppression of minority rights."
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