Rights Group, CRRAN, Petitions IGP, Egbetokun Over Unlawful Arrest, Detention Of Motor Mechanic, Painter
By; KELVIN OKPARA, Enugu
Famous Enugu based human rights organization, Civil rights, Realization and Advancement Network (CRRAN), has petitioned the inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, over the unlawful arrest and continuous illegal detention of a motor mechanic, Mr. Sunday Geoffrey and Mr. Eze Akoh, a car painter at police cell, Airport Command of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
The petition signed by its president, Barrister Olu Omotayo, made available to our correspondent in Enugu on Sunday, revealed that Eze, a motor mechanic was arrested since April 4, 2024, as ordered by the Divisional police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station.
Omotayo in the petition, said: “We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mr. Sunday Geoffrey, a motor mechanic and Mr. Eze Akoh, a motor painter, both of whom carry out their respective businesses at a mechanic workshop along old Emene/ Abakaliki Road, Emene, Enugu.
“We were informed of their arrest and detention on the orders of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), of the Airport Police Station, inside Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on the 4th April 2024, over a complaint made by a customer who gave Sunday Geofrey a car to repair for him.
According to him, “though Mr. Eze Akoh has nothing to do with the business, he was still arrested when Police invaded the mechanic workshop, being elderly he couldn’t run away like young apprentices; he is also presently dumped in Police cell at Akanu Ibiam Airport.
“Mr. Sunday Geofrey said the customer in question invited him sometimes in February 2024, to a Mechanic Workshop along Old Road Emene, to recover his vehicle which was parked with a Gearbox repairer since the two years ago.
“He said the gearbox was not repaired but the customer said he should recover the motor to his workshop to see how it could be repaired, hence he called some apprentices and they pushed the motor to his own workshop which is like ½ kilometer away.
“Mr. Geoffrey said at his workshop, he pointed out to the customer that some things like the number plates of the vehicle were missing, which the customer acknowledged, adding that he didn’t see the customer again to come and discuss how his vehicle will be repaired, until few days ago, when he came back and was asking him to go and look for the missing number plates of the vehicle.
“The customer later left only to come back yesterday 4th May 2024, with policemen from Airport Police Station, who arrested him and while trying to arrest others in the workshop they only managed to arrest Mr. Eze Akoh,” the group said.
The Hunan rights body posited that, “this is an illegal and unlawful deployment of policemen outside their lawful duties. We condemn in an unequivocal terms the unlawful arrest and detention of this duo.
“This is an abuse of office by policemen whose area of jurisdiction is the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu. The detainees have no business at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, so also, the Nigeria Police Airport Command has no business with issues outside the confines of Akanu Ibiam International Airport,” the petition stated.
“We submit that the transaction between Mr. Sunday Geofrey is purely civil matter involving a mechanic and his customer.
We demand an immediate unconditional release of Mr. Sunday Geoffrey, and Mr. Eze Akoh, from their place of unlawful detention,” the group said.
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