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Leaders of Amechi Uwani village in Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State, have called on the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Joseph Egbunike, to honour a court order, asking him to release ịndigenes of the community in detention.
In a letter written on their behalf by a legal practitioner, Kennedy Obi, which was made available to The Eastern Updates, the community leaders, explained that the order given by an FCT High Court has invalidated an earlier order given an FCT Magistrate court, sanctioning their arrest.
The letter read in parts: ‘You may recall that through a direct criminal complaint dated and filed in the registry of the FCT Magistrate court sitting in Jiwa Abuja on the 26th day of July, 2021, an Order was made by His Worship E. D Ebiwari directing you to arrest and remand the respondents in the said charge pending the determination of the direct criminal complaint which was not served on them.
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‘It is in regard of the above that we hereby write to bring to your notice the Order of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Maitama, FCT-Abuja restraining the entirety of the Nigeria Police Force and the Inspector-General of Police from taking any steps howsoever to enforce the said Order of the FCT Magistrate Court number Three (3), Jiwa, Abuja and presided over by His Worship E.D Ebiwari pending the determination of the substantive motion on notice.
‘We are convinced that as a responsible organisation, no section or arm of the Nigeria Police Force shall do or permit to be done any action that might be perceived to be in violation of the attached Order.’
According to the community leaders, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, who doubles as commander of Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), Usman Ayuba, spearheaded the arrest of some indigenes of the community who are currently being detained in Abuja illegally for over a month now.
They listed Obiora Nnamani, Bright Josiah, Okechukwu Umeh, Chief Chukwuma Aniagu, Ndubuisi Edeh, and Henry Orakwe as those currently being held.
Reacting, Ayuba said there are several cases he’s currently handling, but said he would revert next week on the issue.
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