…The allegation is false – Barr. Nebe
…The action of the Minister is Condemnable – APC
…This is purely an act of Intimidation and political witch-hunt- Family
…Allow the Police to do their job- Minister
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama has been accused of masterminding the arrest of APC Zonal Youth Leader, Okugo James Nwanjoku in a gestapo manner from his village in Aninri LGA of Enugu State where he’s observing the government’s directive for everyone to stay at home over the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking to Newsmen on the development, the APC Enugu State Legal Adviser, Barr. Benjamin N. Nebe said the APC stalwart was arrested by IGP Intelligence response unit over an allegation by the foreign affairs Minister that he (Okugo) wrote on Whatsapp platform that the Hon. Minister and His PA were the COVID-19 index cases in Enugu State.
“The APC Enugu State Chairman called me in the morning on Saturday, April 04, 2020 to inform me that the APC Zonal Youth Leader, West, was whisked away, and on getting to the unit’s office situated just before the Abakpa Area Command office (directly opposite National Orthopedic Hospital), I was denied access to see Hon. Nwanjoku, even his wife hasn’t been able to see him,” Barr. Nebe said.
When asked if the allegation that the Minister for Foreign Affairs is behind the continued detention of the APC Youth leader, the APC legal adviser said emphatically, “YES!” Continuing, he said; “When I came to the unit, I met a loyalist of the Minister, El Ajah I confronted him with the question; were you the person that called for the arrest of Okugo? He said it was the Minister, he even went ahead to tell me he was directed by the minister to bring documents showing the posts of Okugo Nwanjoku against the Minister which he submitted before me to the police.
Asked if the arrest was in connection with the post he (Okugo) shared on whatsapp that the Minister and his PA were the Coronavirus cases in Enugu state, Barr Nebe said; “That’s what they claimed. But the truth is that Okugo never penned such allegation against the Minister.
“Okugo only reproduced what was already in circulation in the media that the Minister and His PA had Coronavirus. He also posted that the Minister tested Negative, so why did they bring him here?
Asked why the Minister who’s a member of the APC will go after a youth leader in the same party, the APC legal adviser said, “The Minister wasn’t one of us in the APC, he was just lucky to be given the appointment.
“There are people who are making him to believe he’s the leader and the same Okugo has been advising him to come home and galvanize every member of the party in the state and that singular advice was the genesis of the hatred for Okugo.”
“Even if Okugo did what they are alleging, he can be granted bail, it’s not a criminal offence,” Nebe stressed.
“The president who appointed this Minister has been accused of being dead and even contracting COVID-19 from his Chief of Staff, was anyone arrested?” he asked.
Speaking on the development, the APC Chairman in Enugu State, Dr. Barr. Ben Nwoye said the action of the Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs came to him as a rude shock.
“It got to me in shock yesterday that the Minister for Foreign Affairs, allegedly initiated the commando style invasion of the country home of the Enugu West APC youth leader, the same senatorial zone of the Hon. Minister.
“This is also coming in the heels to the threat he put out against the young man, Prince Okugo Nwanjoku, that he has retained a lawyer threatening to sue for Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (#250,000,000) both for himself and his PA, Mr Flavor Ezeh for an alleged act of defamation, in which case he Prince Okugo 24 hours to apologize to him or he will take him to court and I thought that was the right thing to do if he believes he has been defamed.
“Now, he didn’t go to court, he’s using police power and federal night to now suppress his presumed or assumed political rival. This is not done in a democracy, this is not allowed in a civil society. This is against all the principles of democratic tendencies,” Nwoye stated.
The APC Chairman dared the Minister to include his name in the petition, because if he does; “it will litigated robustly because I have already briefed my lawyer. If I find my name anywhere there, I will not only deal with the criminal matter, but he’s also going to be faced with a lot of civil actions.”
“You can see now why I made it clear when he was nominated that his nomination is a clear mistake. It’s a pattern and practice which this man (the Minister) has established.
Speaking on the position of the APC on the action of the Minister, Dr. Nwoye said; “the Minister is using his office to intimidate and oppress his political opponents. In the midst of COVID-19, this man wants his political opponents to be infected by this virus.
‘Otherwise, you are talking about social distancing, where the young man is staying away with his family, he (minister) goes to bring him in so he can be infected with COVID-19. There’s no reason for his continued detention because the IG of Police has given an order that any minor (assuming it’s an) offence is a bailable offence.
“Assuming it’s a conspiracy to disseminate false information, how much harm has he (Minister) suffered? According to the lawyer, his arm is monetary, #250,000,000.00, is it equal to the life of this young man?” Nwoye asked.
Nwoye also alleged that from the information he’s gathering, the Minister and his political actors are bragging that Prince Okugo Nwanjoku, the son of Igwe Onyiaoha Nwanjoku will die and rot in jail.
“So the position of the APC is that the act is condemnable, unfortunately, because of the situation in the country, we can’t convene immediately and take a formal position but I condemn every act of intimidation by this Minister who needs to face his duty in Abuja Which is coordinating the international community to help us fight and eradicate COVID-19 not picking of fight with his presumed political enemies.”
Dr. Nwoye also assured that “there’s going to be a lawsuit for those whose freedom has been seized and interfered with unlawfully. Those people who knew that they were acting under false information and acting against the dictates of the constitution, they are going to face the music.”
A member of the Nwanjoku’s family, Barr. Ben Nwanjoku narrated how his brother, James Nwanjoku was whisked away from their home. He accused the Minister of being the mastermind of the detention of his junior brother.
“At About 5:30PM on Friday, 3rd April, I got a call from my father in the village; Ohafia Ndumeze Kingdom, In Aninri LGA, that some policemen came and identified themselves that they are from the IG of Police Intelligence unit operating in Enugu. He also told me that my brother was arrested and beaten up to this place that I should go and handle the situation.
“I got to Enugu at about 9PM and went straight to the office of the IGP intelligence unit. I met with the team leader who led the arrest of my brother, DSP Adeyemi who directed me to the coordinator of the unit.
“I had a fruitful discussion with the coordinator who told me that a petition was written against my brother because of what he wrote on social media and that was the reason for his arrest.
“I told the coordinator that as a practicing senior lawyer, I will like to undertake and take my brother home and whenever he’s needed, I will bring him and bail based on the directive of the IGP that such minor offenders should be granted bail.
“He (the coordinator) told me that they just arrived at about an hour ago and that he wouldn’t mind to release him but they are still taking his statement and I might not be able to take him about 2AM when they might be through that it will be late. On that note, the coordinator said I should go and come back the next day so we can talk about his bail.
“Ordinarily, from all ramification, what he’s standing for is a bailable offence, very minor offence. If you are accusing him of writing whatever, in law, it’s just thought.
“If I say Mr. A is thief and I wasn’t the original author of that but merely reproduced what I saw elsewhere, I haven’t committed any offence, I was just quoting what I was told elsewhere.
“In summary, what Okugo James Nwanjoku is standing for is intimidation and harassment by the so-called faction of APC in the state because El Ajah, a strong member of the Minister’s faction called me to tell my Father to call the Minister and beg him,” he concluded
When contacted, the Personal Assistant to the Minister, Mr. Flavor Ezeh said the police has taken over the matter and should be allowed to do their job. He also alleged that they are aware of the role, the Enugu APC Chairman has been playing.
“The police have taken over the matter and they should be allowed to do their job.
“Meanwhile, we aware of the role Mr. Ben Nwoye has been playing all along.”
The IGP unit when contacted for reaction said they have nothing to say and told the press to “go ahead and write whatever they want.”
