CLO urges police to release lawyer allegedly detained without trial

Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt 

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has urged the police  to immediately release a lawyer, Mr. Jeff Ikechi, who was reportedly arrested and detained without trial by the police on February 17, 2020.

The CLO alleged that Ikechi was subjected to physical torture and other forms of brutality by the police.

A statement signed by the South-South Zonal Chairman of the organisation, Karl Uchegbu, and its Director, Styvn Obodoekwe, said that Ikechi had remained incommunicado since his arrest.

Ikechi, who hails from Ubima in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, was reportedly whisked away from  Port Harcourt and moved to Abuja by officials of the Federal Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police.

The statement said: :The attention of the South-South Zone of the Civil Liberties Organization has been drawn to an arbitrary arrest, humiliation, police brutality, torture, illegal detention without trial of citizen Ikechi Jeff by policemen from the FCID, Abuja.

“Ikechi Jeff, a legal practitioner who also hails from Ubima, was arrested in Gestapo style in Port Harcourt on Monday, February 17, 2020 by policemen from FCID, Abuja. He was whisked away to Abuja from Port Harcourt the same day and has since then remained incommunicado in police detention.

Read Also: You’re not serious in the trial of ex-Customs boss, Dikko, court tells ICPC

“We call on the Inspector General of Police, IG, to prevail on the DIG and AIG at the FCID, Abuja to release Citizen Jeff unconditionally without further delay. We fear that he may be subjected to cruel and subhuman treatments as he is denied access to his family members, lawyers and others.

“We are also worried for his safety as the man behind his arrest was said to have boasted that Jkechi Jeff will either back out from his position as the community liaison officer, CLO/family representative of All Grace Energy Ltd/Western Ord Oil and Gas Ltd, an oil servicing joint venture operating in their community or be killed.

“He is said to be subjected to torture, cruel and inhuman treatment by the police in a desperate bid to force him to relinquish the position of CLO/family representative of the aforementioned All Grace Energy Lta/Western Ord Oil and Gas Ltd, a position assigned to him by his community.

“The officers who partook in the illegal arrest include Mr. Joseph with phone number 07031288107 and Mr. Emmanuel with phone number, 07068777115″.