Release Igbo Youths arrested at Onitsha drug market now

The Ndigbo Unity Assembly (NUA) has urged the
Inspector-General of Police (IG) to as a matter
of urgency release eight Igbo
young men arrested by his IG Special
Squad (IRT) at Onitsha drug market.

The President of the Assembly High Chief Uzor A. Uzor, who
made this call in Onitsha, the Anambra State commercial nerve centre however,
said failure to release the men arrested at Bridgehead, Onitsha would trigger
off massive protest against the illegal
arrest and their continued detention.

Those under arrest
include Donatud Ajanma, chairmanship aspirant, Uche Michael, Francis Exechukwu
and others.

But the group said that what was most annoying is the
“crude and uncivilized” manner the squad led by one Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP),
Abdullahi Mohammed, from Kaduna State sector arrested the people and kept them
in a bus driving them around South East and Delta State for about two weeks .

They alleged that these people were kept incommumicando for more than two weeks now, without access
to their lawyers, and family members .

The worst, said the Assembly, was that up to the time of
addressing this press they have not been told of their offences.

They alleged that they were demanding huge amount of money
from each of these detainees who are
traders at Onitsha drug market

One of the detainees,
said the group, is an aspirant in the
forthcoming election of the market,fuelling speculation that the arrest night
be connected with the election the
market being planned for the market.

Said High Chief Uzor ” there is no where in our laws
where suspects are arrested without telling them their offences, and kept in a
vehicle.”That is why we appeal to IGP to as a matter of urgency release
these people unconditionally and without any financial attachment” ,said
High Chief Uzor

They warned that if after 24 hours of the publication of this statement,
these Igbo youths were not released unconditionally the group
would mobilise people to protest the unlawful arrest and illegal detention.

The Assembly called on the IGP to immediately relieve ASP
Abdullahi his job and send him to Police College for a refresher course.

The group however, lauded
ACP Abba Kyari, IG, Special Squad, for his professionalism and dogged
fightt against criminals.

“He has shown that criminals have no hiding place
anywhere he is posted in this country”, said the Assembly.

But ASP Abdullahi, they said, has failed to follow the footstep of his boss
and has been making “fictitious, unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations
against these defenceless youths” to the effect that they supply drug to
Boko Haram in Simbisa forest in Botno State .

,”But we know that was a ploy to extort money from
these innocent Igbo traders allegedly from ASP Abdullahi who claimed he was
untouchable because and he hails from the same Borno State with the Commander,
Abba Kyari” in Borno State.