The Murder Of Jumbo Ochigbo, Lies of The Police and silence of The Presidency
"Please don't kill my father; leave my father alone". His little kid pleaded. Now he is gone. They killed him...
That fateful day; 20th March 2019, Jumbo Ochigbo Ogar, 42, a two-star officer with the Nigerian civil Defence Corps, had made a wrong U-turn in a hurry to get his wife and children to school. A traffic warden at the junction, simply described as Idoko, flagged him down. He stopped the car but left the car engine running while he tried to explain to the traffic warden that he meant no disrespect, according to his wife.
As the conversation became heated, Jumbo who was dressed in his official uniform turned off his car engine. That appeared to annoy Idoko, who saw Jumbo-Ochigbo's action as proof of defiance. Suddenly, the beating began as another traffic warden charged onto the scene, cursing and railing against Jumbo.
The new acting Inspector General of Police , Mohammed Adamu ordered full investigation of the matter-- Can the Police be trusted? Will this case go the way of previous investigations that never saw the light of the day? Will the Acting IGP show good example with this case?
It's a known fact that the Nigeria Police hate anything that discredits the force. They find it difficult to admit any wrong doing and they can go to any length to cover up their tracks just to appear good - they can kill, lie, prefer false charges on innocent citizens just to conceal the truth. But Nigerians know them for who they are.
Already, they've started on this case with lies and pretence - In his press conference; Force PRO - ACP Frank MBA who was not on the scene of the incident says:
" On contravention, the NSCDC officer himself , who was putting on civil shirt on top of his NSCDC trouser, drove himself with the traffic warden officer to the Nyanya Police Station. It was while he was being asked questions and he was responding that he suddenly collapsed." he said.
But the wife of the deceased, Ada who witnessed the incident along with her two kids said her husband was beaten to death...
" The Police used baton to beat my husband, dragged him out, hit him on the head until he died right in my presence and that of my kids. Look at the bruises on his leg, that was when they were dragging him on the ground." She said.
Former Attorney-General of the federation and minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, reportedly said about seven years ago that the Police alone had killed 7,108 persons extra-Judicially in four years. Jumbo- Ochigbo is not part of that statistics, Nkechi Igwetu; the woman killed by a Policeman in Abuja while on her National Youth service is also not part of the statistics. Anita Akapson is also not part of Adoke's analysis. She was shot dead the night she relocated from UK to Nigeria by a trigger happy policeman on Sunday 14th October 2018. Friday Nduka - Malaysia returnee killed by a Police officer named Mike Idem is also not part of Adoke's list. David Legbaraa, a bus driver killed by a Policeman at Whimpy Junction in Portharcourt in Rivers State is not on the list as well. The list is endless and most of the cases took place between last year and this year.
Who will deliver us from the atrocities and onslaught of the Nigeria Police? I checked but found non - Emeka Ugwuonye who rose in defence of innocent Nigerians brutalised by the Police; he speak out against the atrocities of the Police but the Police retaliated by roping him into a murder case of a woman he (Emeka has been) fighting since 2016. He is presently remanded in prison custody. He cannot do anything at least for now.
I also checked on the NBA but that group cannot deliver Nigerians from the brutality of the Police - I don't think they can really help. The Nigerian Senate cannot help either as the President of the federal Republic of Nigeria see things differently and view any move from the present senate with suspicion.
In fact the body language of the President condones impunity and abuse of power. Despite our misery and agony at the hands of the Police, despite the Public outcry against the brutality, torture, killings, suppression, lies of the Police; the President appears cool, indifferent and unperturbed.
Today is exactly 11 days since the gruesome murder of Jumbo Ochigbo but the President is yet to react to the unfortunate incident. This is one too many. I doubt if human life worth anything to our president.
On July 2018, social media space was on fire over Ghanian Police officer who was seen in a viral video assaulting a woman clutching her baby in a banking all. It took Ghanaian President - Nana Akufo-Addo, 24-hours to react to the incident...
" I want to say it here, Policemen are meant to protect citizens, not to assault citizens. So the measures the (IGP) of Police has taken to sanction the erring policeman and try to make sure that these things don't happen again - they have my complete support so that we can stop this incident from proliferating." He said. This was an assault. No life was lost yet the President of Ghana stood and took a definite stand. He did not try to shield the Police officer.
DPA demands Justice for Jumbo Ochigbo. Our leaders should use this case as water shield moment to assure Nigerians that life, all life matters.
Ifeanyi Calistus,
Director Of Information
DPA.
Abusive Use of the Administration of Criminal Justice as Instrument for Political Control.
Yes, every government in the world uses the power to choose who, when and how to prosecute a person for a "crime" as a way to intimidate and control political opponents. But nowhere on earth is such abusive use of the prosecutorial powers of the state as rampant as in Nigeria at the present time.
Every democratic legal system makes efforts to check such abusive prosecutorial powers. That is what the due process rights of a person are meant to prevent. By setting clear standards and limitations for the government, individuals are protected from the tendency of government to single out their opponents and persecute them through improper indictments in criminal courts. The prevention of the abusive prosecutorial powers is the key reason for the establishment of the Due Process Organization (DPA).
Let us point out just a few examples of the dangerous and perversive manner in which successive governments of Nigeria and their agencies have abused this power.
This is probably one remarkable difference between the rights abuses committed under the military rule and those committed under civilian rule. Indeed, there have been far more Human Rights violations since 1999 than any comparable period during military rule.
The difference is that the military government abused your rights without much pretence of prosecuting you in a court of law. So, on the face of it, everybody could see that your rights are being abused. On the other hand, the civilian government will actually abuse your rights while pretending to go through the courts. Abuses by civilian governments end up more invidious and pervasive because they are disguised as rule of law and justice. Yet, it nothing other than jungle justice in practical effects.
For instance: much of all that has been done under the EFCC in Nigeria has been to use that agency to control and suppress opponents of the government of the day. EFCC has remained an instrument of political control. No wonder it spent much of its time at the early stages in impeaching state governors opposed to President Obadanjo.
Such abusive use of prosecutorial authority is seen recently most glaringly in the case of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The government and its prosecutorial authorities fabricated sensational stories against the CJN, smeared and damaged his reputation, searched his office and lied against him in the media. All the agencies of the government - police, EFCC, the DSS, the Code of Conduct Bureau were all used. The same executive that does not know how to conduct elections could actually deploy enormous assets just to indict a CJN on fabricated evidence.
To have the CJN sit in the dock and answer questions was the ultimate aberration, and humiliation of the head of the judiciary. And that was just because the presidency saw him as an opponent that needed to be controlled, and chose to do it right through prosecution in a court of law.
Another glaring abuse of prosecutorial powers of the state is the current case of Emeka Ugwuonye. Compare that case with the case of Gani Fawehinmi working on Dele Giwa. The military government never thought of charging Fawehinmi with the murder of Dele Giwa. But the police did just that to Emeka Ugwuonye.
There are many more instances. About 80% of all prosecutions in Nigeria is done on the basis of fabricated evidence and often against those the government perceive as enemies.
DPA is an organization that is determined to curtail the abusive use of the prosecutorial powers of the state. This means that DPA will be working hard to strengthen the safeguards provided under the due process provisions of the law. The case of Emeka Ugwuonye is actually a potent weapon and the best training experience for DPA members. If any of them did not understand the dangers that the organization is meant to fight, now it is easy to understand it just by following the case of their Founder.
The Case of Emeka Ugwuonye against the Nigerian Police Drags On.
Yesterday, at the resumed hearing in the case,
Commissioner of Police v. Ephraim
Emeka Ugwuonye, it became clear that the case would drag out. This is too typical of Nigerian criminal trials. Once bail is not immediately granted, the accused person is as good as having been convicted. This makes nonsense of the notion of presumption of innocence. The accuser feels that his mission has been accomplished.
As if to further shock everybody, the judge admitted that she had not read the proof of evidence in the case because it was voluminous. What actually made it voluminous was that the police attached volumes of repetitive DPA posts on its Facebook wall. But the shock came from the fact that by admitting that she had not read the proof of evidence, the judge admitted that she failed to do what she ought to gave done early in the case. Emeka Ugwuonye's bail application called on the court to determine that nothing in the proof of evidence submitted to court linked Emeka Ugwuonye to the offences charged. That required the court to immediately assess the proof of evidence. But if court has not read the proof of evidence, then, how could it have reached its decision on Ugwuonye's bail application judicially and judiciously?
In yesterday's trial, David Aiyedegbon's cross-examination was completed. It became a problem rescheduling the next hearing date, as the police prosecutor insisted he would not be available on any of the days suggested in the next two weeks. With Easter close-by, it became harder to agree on a date in April.
Emeka Ugwuonye and his lawyers will focus on securing his bail before the next date set for the continuation of trial.
From every indication, Ugwuonye and his lawyers are optimistic and upbeat about the outcome of the day's proceedings.
Emeka Ugwuonye Vindicated As Nigerians React Over The Death Sentence Handed Lekan Shonde
Those accusing the Founder of Due Process Advocates (DPA) Emeka Ugwuonye (Esquire) of encouraging divorce and breaking homes should take a look at the fate that befall Ronke, the slain wife of Lekan Shonde. Consider the calamity that visited that family.
Consider the psychological trauma the children may have been subjected. Report had it that after Lekan murdered his wife, he locked the two kids inside the room with the corpse and bolted. The whole incidence that led to this horrible outcome could have been avoided if Ugwuonye's advice were followed.
Ugwuonye's position is very clear.. " No marriage is worth the life of any human being. If your marriage has broken so irretrievably to the threat to life of either partner, the best approach to save the situation is to either separate or divorce"
The Lagos high Court on Friday Sentenced Lekan Shonde to death by hanging for killing his wife Ronke. Lekan Shonde who was a depot worker in the Apapa area of Lagos State, was found guilty of murdering his wife. It was gathered that the 51 years old beat his wife to death at their home in the Egbeda -Idimu area of Lagos State on the 5th of may 2016.
The marriage which was blessed with two children aged Six and four, was said to have been marred with domestic violence. He accused Ronke his wife of sleeping with one Kayode the general manager of a publishing company.
Delivering the judgement on Friday, Justice Josephine Oyefeso sentenced Lekan to death by hanging. The Judge maintained that the prosecution proved beyond doubt that Lekan Shonde actually beat his wife to death.
Ifeanyi Calistus
Director of Information
DPA
LEVERAGING ON ABUSE OF POWER AND IMPUNITY
Today David Aiyedogbon is enjoying the leverage of impunity and abuse of power by the Nigerian Police Abuja command. No doubt, he is a happy man. He is not only enjoying the full backing of the Police but he is as well being shielded by the Police from investigation and possible prosecution. How long the leverage lasts is only known to the almighty God.
But as for Emeka Ugwuonye Esquire, he has played his part gallantly. Posterity will judge him kindly. One of the aims of the Nigerian Police in their vicious persecution, vendetta and calumny against Emeka Ugwuonye has been more on how to exonerate David Aiyedogbon than finding what happened to Charity Aiyedogbon( Cha-Cha.) Once David is shown to be free, then the case is closed. That is why Nigerians should appreciate Emeka Ugwuonye for his sacrifices to ensure that the case is still alive.
We have seen from the lackluster attitude of the Nigerian Police Abuja command and the desperation of David Aiyedegbon to destroy all evidence pointing at him as having hands in the fate that befall his late wife. David and Emeka has different objectives. While Emeka's objective is to find what happened to Cha-Cha, Davids objective is to exonerate himself from the fate that visited Cha-Cha.
The truth will be revealed, despite how long it is delayed. Emeka and David's objectives appear to be right depending on the perspective from where one views it but time shall tell.
LEVERAGING ON ABUSE OF POWER AND IMPUNITY
Today David Aiyedogbon is enjoying the leverage of impunity and abuse of power by the Nigerian Police Abuja command. No doubt, he is a happy man. He is not only enjoying the full backing of the Police but he is as well being shielded by the Police from investigation and possible prosecution. How long the leverage lasts is only known to the almighty God.
But as for Emeka Ugwuonye Esquire, he has played his part gallantly. Posterity will judge him kindly. One of the aims of the Nigerian Police in their vicious persecution, vendetta and calumny against Emeka Ugwuonye has been more on how to exonerate David Aiyedogbon than finding what happened to Charity Aiyedogbon( Cha-Cha.) Once David is shown to be free, then the case is closed. That is why Nigerians should appreciate Emeka Ugwuonye for his sacrifices to ensure that the case is still alive.
We have seen from the lackluster attitude of the Nigerian Police Abuja command and the desperation of David Aiyedegbon to destroy all evidence pointing at him as having hands in the fate that befall his late wife. David and Emeka has different objectives. While Emeka's objective is to find what happened to Cha-Cha, Davids objective is to exonerate himself from the fate that visited Cha-Cha.
The truth will be revealed, despite how long it is delayed. Emeka and David's objectives appear to be right depending on the perspective from where one views it but time shall tell.
LEVERAGING ON ABUSE OF POWER AND IMPUNITY
Today David Aiyedogbon is enjoying the leverage of impunity and abuse of power by the Nigerian Police Abuja command. No doubt, he is a happy man. He is not only enjoying the full backing of the Police but he is as well being shielded by the Police from investigation and possible prosecution. How long the leverage lasts is only known to the almighty God.
But as for Emeka Ugwuonye Esquire, he has played his part gallantly. Posterity will judge him kindly. One of the aims of the Nigerian Police in their vicious persecution, vendetta and calumny against Emeka Ugwuonye has been more on how to exonerate David Aiyedogbon than finding what happened to Charity Aiyedogbon( Cha-Cha.) Once David is shown to be free, then the case is closed. That is why Nigerians should appreciate Emeka Ugwuonye for his sacrifices to ensure that the case is still alive.
We have seen from the lackluster attitude of the Nigerian Police Abuja command and the desperation of David Aiyedegbon to destroy all evidence pointing at him as having hands in the fate that befall his late wife. David and Emeka has different objectives. While Emeka's objective is to find what happened to Cha-Cha, Davids objective is to exonerate himself from the fate that visited Cha-Cha.
The truth will be revealed, despite how long it is delayed. Emeka and David's objectives appear to be right depending on the perspective from where one views it but time shall tell.
ABATTOIR: NIGERIA’S SECRET PRISON
Since the making of this video, which was only an introduction, a number of changes have occurred as a result. First, all the detainees mentioned in the video have been either released or charged to court as we demanded. And none of them was killed extra-judicially by the police.
Secondly, the new Inspector General of Police has abolished a number of police units responsible for the kind of abuses that thrived in abattoir. Also, the police force under the new Inspector General has issued apologies to victims of police abuse. These are marks of progress for which Due Process Advocate International Foundation (DPA) must take some of the credit.
However, more needs to be done to end police atrocities. Also, the new police leadership needs to act faster and to extend reforms to other areas of human rights abuses by the police. Even though,the founder of DPA was charged to court after the making of this video.
For the video, we are proud that we did not keep quiet in the face of gross human right violations by our policemen. And, we intend to do more; as long as there is injustice in the land, we shall not relent. We shall fight on to protect the ordinary citizen from injustice.
Welcome once again to the introduction to
Abattoir:
Nigeria's Secret Prison.
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