THE CASE OF EMEKA UGWUONYE AND THE NIGERIAN POLICE, FCT ABUJA COMMAND.

UNDERSTANDING THE CASE IN DETAILS.

In order to enable Due Process Advocates Members understand the full details of the case of the Founder of DPA and the Nigerian Police, we have decided to extract the Affidavit in Support of his Bail Application and make it available to our members. Because of the bulky nature of the documents,we will break it down into several parts and run it in series beginning with Part 1.

PART 1.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY
IN THE ABUJA JUDICIAL DIVISION
HOLDEN AT GUDU, CHARGE NO:: CR/20/2018

BETWEEN

COMMISSIONER OF
POLICE (FCT) _______________ COMPLAINANT/RESPONDENT

AND

1. EZEUGWU PAUL CHUKWUJEKWU___________ DEFENDANT
2. EMMANUEL ADOGA _____________________ DEFENDANT
3. EPHRAIM EMEKA UGWUONYE__________________3RD DEFENDANT/APPLICANT

AFFIDAVIT IN SUPPORT OF MOTION FOR BAIL

I, DANIEL AFAMEFUNA EDEACHI, a legal practitioner, a Disciple of Yahshua, an adult male citizen of Nigeria, of No ******, ******* Abuja, do hereby make oath and state as follows:

1. That I am a legal practitioner by profession and I have been a legal adviser to the Due Process Advocates Foundation (DPA), an organisation of which the Defendant/Applicant; Ephraim Emeka Ugwuonye (hereinafter: “the Defendant/Applicant” or “Defendant” or “Applicant”) is the founder and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

2. That I have known the Defendant/Applicant personally and have worked with him closely for the past 3 (three) years, and I have visited him in Kuje Medium Correctional Custodial Center, formerly; the Kuje Medium Prison (Kuje) since he was remanded there by this court on the 13th day of December, 2018. I visit him on the average frequency of once in a week.

3. That by virtue of my association and interactions with both DPA and the Defendant/Applicant, I am conversant with the facts to which I depose hereto or have reasonable basis for my belief in the accuracy thereof.

4. That the Defendant/Applicant could not personally depose to this affidavit due to the fact that he has been remanded in Kuje for the past 13 months. Hence he authorised me to depose to this affidavit in his stead and provided me information where I do not have personal knowledge, and I verily believe the information he provided me to be true and accurate.

5. That the Defendant/Applicant is a 53-year old Nigerian, he is a single parent with two children (21-year old son and 18-year old daughter) and he is responsible for the upkeep of his 72-year old widowed mother, who is currently sick.

6. That the Defendant/Applicant is a lawyer by training and profession and has been so for the past 28 years.

7. That the Applicant had the following training and qualifications in law:

(a) Bachelor of laws (LLB, University of Benin, Nigeria) 1991

(b) Barrister-at-Law qualification (BL, Nigerian Law School, Lagos Nigeria), 1992.

8. That the Applicant was called to the Bar in more than ten different jurisdictions, including but not limited to Nigeria, State of New York, State of Maryland, U.S District of Illinois, U.S District of Ohio, U.S District of Virginia, United States Court of International Trade, etc.

9. That the Defendant’s incarceration in Nigeria subject to the order of this court will reasonably have affected his good standing in the Bars of some of these jurisdictions, as he has not been able to respond to any Bar issues arising during his absence, and such failure to respond or be in touch with the Bar would alter his standing therein subject to the applicable rules of reinstatement.

10. That for the past 25 years, the Applicant has worked in the following capacities and positions:

(a) 1995-1997- Assistant Professor, Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts.

(b) 1997-2000- Legal Counsel, World Bank, Washington DC.

(d) 2001- Present, Principal Counsel, ECULAW Group, Rockville, Maryland, and Lagos.

(e) 2015- present, Founder and CEO, Due Process Advocates International Foundation (DPA).