Governor Hope Uzodinma’s administration wants to get rid of the controversial arrest of Uche Nwosu inside the church during Sunday service by armed police.
The State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, in a statement this Monday, condemned the police invasion of the Anglican Church of St. Peter in Nkwerre, Imo State, and said the state government “will not support any form of disrespect for a place of worship by security agencies.”
Although there is no evidence linking Mr. Uzodinma and his administration to the arrest, the acrimony between the governor and his predecessor, Rochas Okorocha, who is Mr. Nwosu’s father-in-law, and the attitude of the police during and after the incident have caused many to see the arrest as “political” and the governor as the one behind him.
Nwosu said he was not invited by the police or issued an arrest warrant, a claim that has yet to be refuted by the police.
Furthermore, days after the incident, the police have not yet revealed why Mr. Nwosu, a candidate for Governor of the Action Alliance in Imo State in 2019, was arrested, what investigation has been or is still being carried out and if he would be charged in court. Or not.
It was Mr. Nwosu himself who revealed to journalists in Owerri that he was arrested based on a petition that he was “sponsoring insecurity” in Imo state. “
Questions to be answered by the police
Here’s a question asking the police for an answer: Was it really necessary for more than 15 officers to “jump” into the church during Sunday service and shoot to arrest Mr. Nwosu?
Mr. Nwosu told reporters: “They (the officers) asked me to take off my clothes, handcuffed me, took pictures of me, made a video and sent it to the CSO.” This claim has not been refuted by the police either.
So, until the police come out to say otherwise, the officers are supposed to have taken photos of Mr. Nwosu while he was handcuffed and wearing only a T-shirt and then deliberately released the photos to the public.
One more question, why did the police release Mr. Nwosu the same day he was arrested, after such a show of force within the church, after spending huge funds to get him on a chartered flight from Enugu to Abuja? Did they just realize they had chosen the wrong person or what?
Until the police answer these questions, many Nigerians would continue to view the arrest for what they believe it to be: a high-ranking and very shameful drama staged by the Nigerian police, backed by some powerful people, to humiliate and ridicule Mr. Nwosu and his father-in-law, Senator Okorocha.
Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba
And many Nigerians think that the powerful people here are Governor Uzodinma and the officials of his administration.
The statements of Mr. Emelumba, spokesman for the Imo state government, have not helped much here.
Mr. Emelumba’s first reaction sounded celebratory, something like “Yeah, we got you guys,” when news of Mr. Nwosu’s arrest broke out.
“This is a man who looted the Commonwealth of the People of Imo State. Neither he (Okorocha) nor his son-in-law are above the law, ”Emelumba told reporters in Owerri.
About a day later, when the Nigerians began to condemn the police for the invasion of the church, when Emelumba spoke to reporters again, he did so with some restraint.
“The arrest of Mr. Nwosu within the church premises could have been avoided and he is therefore doomed,” said Mr. Emelumba.
“While the government regrets the manner in which the arrest was carried out, we wish to emphasize that since it was a purely security matter, the full reason why such action was taken will eventually develop and perhaps better guide the public.
“The Government, therefore, wishes to appeal to those negatively affected by the action to support the security agencies,” he added.
Why Nwosu’s arrest is bad for the police, Uzodinma
The way armed officers, all of them masked, invaded the church has made some people wonder what the difference is between the police and the ‘unknown gunmen’ responsible for the various killings in Imo and other southeastern states.
“The reckless and ruthless gestures displayed by the Imo State Police Command in the vicinity of the church will make it impossible for citizens to separate terrorists from law enforcement,” said the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria in its reaction to the arrest of Nwosu.
Even the pro-Biafra group, IPOB, saying What happened to Mr. Nwosu, apparently referring to how masked officers fired shots in the church, has justified him over the deadly attacks and kidnappings in Imo.
Security challenges in Imo and the other states could be compounded by police actions.
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Hope uzodinma [PHOTO CREDIT: @HopeUzodimma01]
Furthermore, the way in which Mr. Nwosu was arrested could erode the trust that people have in Mr. Uzodinma and his administration.
“The attack on Uche Nwosu is an attack on human rights and freedom. It also shows the disdain that law enforcement has for the public. We are not a banana republic, but actions like this will surely lead us to it, ”Babatope Falade-Onikoyi, a Lagos-based economist and management consultant, said in a statement. facebook post.