Widow , Rights Lawyer Petition IG, Anambra CP over long detention of Son

                                                      

Human Rights Lawyer , Camillus Akor has joined a widow , Mrs Mercy Eloebo in crying out for the release of an Aba based trader of cosmetics , Charles Eloebo from detention at the Awkuzu office of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS).

The 52-year old widow, Mrs Eloebo yesterday cried out over continued detention of her 32-year old first son Charles over five weeks without trial.

Mrs Eloebo appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Abubakar and the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, to direct the SARS operatives at Awkuzu led by James Nwafor to either release Charles conditionally or unconditionally or charge him to court for any offence they think he committed rather than torture him for nothing.

Mrs. Eloebo who spoke to newsmen through her legal counsel, Camillus Chinedu Akor of the Uzodike Law Chambers, Nnewi, yesterday. Akor is a member of the Civil Liberties Organization, (CLO), Enugu branch.

Eloebo recalled that Charles, his cousin, Uchenna and one Aloy Chukwuani were arrested by the SARS operatives on January 6, this year and detained, but Uchenna and Aloy were later released on bail by the police, leaving only Charles in detention since then.

She complained that the trio were arrested for no specific offence at Charles' uncles' compound at Eziama village, Ojoto in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State where he had gone on a visit, after the Christmas and New year holidays.

Mrs. Eloebo , an hypertensive patient, contended that all attempts by their lawyer, Akor to get Charles released from SARS detention proved abortive, neither was he arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction to face whatever charge the police may have slammed against him.

Akor in his remarks said that his continued detention without arraignment in court amounted to a gross violation of his fundamental human right and a threat to his life, adding that a person is presumed to be innocent until proved guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Akor said he is giving the police authorities upto 24 hours from now to either release the suspect on bail or arraign him before a court or he would sue the police and claim damages for infringement on the right of detained Charles Eloebo.

He argued that the judiciary should be allowed to determine the legality or illegality of any offence or accusation made against a suspect, rather than subjecting the suspect to extra-judicial torture in attempt to extract a statement or force the suspect to confess to a crime he or she did not commit.

He regretted that in some cases, the operatives would torture such suspects to death on frivolous and trump up charges of committing one crime or the other, without recourse to normal court process.

He insisted that the normal process is to charge a suspect to court within 24 hours of arrest or 48 hours in the case of exceptional circumstance.