PDP demands immediate release of Metuh
Olisa Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately release its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
This is contained in a statement signed by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Mr Victor Kwon on Saturday in Abuja.
The statement alleged that since Metuh was arrested on Tuesday he had been kept in cell where he was daily threatened by officials of the agency.
The party asked the EFCC to respect the law and immediately release Metuh or charge him to court in line with the provisions of the laws if it has a case against him.
According to the statement, the EFCC officials had since been mounting pressure on him to accept guilt of fictitious figures and implicate PDP leaders.
“The PDP strongly cautions against the avoidable tension and looming political crisis over the continuous clamp-down on our leaders and particularly, the continued incarceration of our spokesperson.
“Our teeming members across the country have so far exercised reasonable restrain, but we caution that there is a limit to what they can stomach in the face of this brazen persecution of our spokesman,’’ the statement said
The statement said that the continued detention of Metuh was in clear breach of his constitutionally guaranteed liberty and fundamental human rights.
It said that relying on a purported ‘holding charge’ derived from a Magistrate to detain Metuh beyond the statutory period allowed by the law was in total violation of the constitution.
It added that the detention was in total violation of extant corresponding rulings by several trial and appellate courts in the country.
“We draw the attention of all Nigerians and the international community to this illegal clamp-down on the opposition spokesman by the EFCC, using a purported holding charge said to have been derived from a Magistrate Court.
“Holding Charge implies ‘arrest before investigation’ instead of ‘investigation before arrest.
“This is clearly an aberration and abuse of judicial process which has since been declared by several courts as illegal, null and void, and of no effect as it is totally in contradiction with section 35 (1), (4), (5a) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ the statement said.
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22 Comments
Buhari’s brand of democracy involves the incarceration of Nigerians without the due process of the law. What kind of kangaroo democracy is that? And some insane worshipers of Buhari are applauding him. I weep for my country.
This is Nigerian modelled democracy and many of us are happy with it! The clamour for made in Nigeria goods should not be restricted to hardware alone; it should include made in Nigeria democracy!
When you model that steeply, it is no longer Democratic, you see my friend.
Can’t we have one unique to Nigeria? Must we copy everything that Oyibo taught us?
As far as the name implies, it is a theory. When an equation is conceived, the variables are unique as in Democracy. If you are deviating from that, you might as well call the exercise another name all together. You cannot adulterate uniqueness, my friend.
Please suggest a name; we are urgently in need! Thanks!
The name is Democracy with its accoutrements. Every one should be equal under the Law. Equal in opportunities and equally treated when you commit offenses. It doesn’t have to have a local name to suit our aspirations. The local stigma to everything we do illustrates unnecessary sentiments and are drawbacks to our fortitude. We can call it any name and make it work seriously perfectly. What’s in a name anyway?
I see! I wish everybody would have equal access to the pilfering of the Commonwealth so that there will be equal and equitable restitution devoid, then, of sentiments! However there is so much apathy In our environment and we need to care!
We cannot all be there to exact our own share of looting. That’s why we have a Republic. Our care is lost in our selection of representative government. You need to talk to the population of their inherent force. If they knew, things would not have gotten this far. Now that an understanding person like you is uttering this bashing, I am afraid of our survival.
Please weep hard. Do you know how many Nigerians that are no more or in abject poverty because of their deeds? They committed a crime against the state and your so called fundamental human right that only protect the corrupt rich cannot be applied at this time.
The ‘B/Haramists’ will attack UN and tell you they attached the establishment, right? What constitutes an establishment? Property and people if I am not mistaken. Every crime is committed against humans not objects that is the basis of law that is inherent. Do we ignore the rules on emotions and sentiments? That is what Democracy weeps about @Olufemi.
We should not let this pain migrate into the National Spinal column. EFCC should release Metuh. He is not deemed a flight risk. He is not obstructing investigations. He has co-operated with some submissions. His civil liberties should not be trampled. We should not bait our liberties against the Constitution. Charge or release him, pronto. Members of the opposition are no less Nigerians.
He disturbed our peace by shouting foul when he knew he was culpable! It was better to have kept shut and reap the benefit of doubt!
I am not determining Metuh’s guilt or innocence. What I am saying is, there is a due process in his situation which needs to be followed. His continued detention is taking a political bearing when he is not allowed to talk to his Lawyers. You don’t detain people indefinitely without charges. Call his charges out, spell his bail terms so that he can defend himself.
Others have gone through that process and his should not be different! He should have been more circumspect before soiling his hands!
I don’t have any modicum of sympathy for those who took ant-infested wood home by themselves!
If he had succeeded, he would have quietly reaped his ill gotten proceeds while the rest of Nigerians suffer the consequences of their indiscretion! For me, this is part of the justice – the French style!
That others have gone through the process in the like manner does not make it right for an Administration that is showcasing itself in due process and the rule of
Law. Charge them, convict them and extract your pound of flesh. Remember their bloods are not in the bargain unless the charges are capital.
We are advocating that due process be put in abeyance until our money is fully recovered; particularly as they did not apply due process to pilfer our money!
You don’t run anything when rights are in abeyance. They are being prosecuted because they threw the rights of the people to the winds.
I wish the legal adviser had advised them against committing fraud as the consequences may defy constitutional tenets and expose members to untoward visitations! This is medicine after death!
They have so much abused our court process and constitution to be a first safe haven for the corrupt official. The so call fundamental human right have been abused to only apply to the corrupt rich after they have abused the fundamental human right of the masses
They did in the written standards of performance in the workplace. No employee tends to look at their handbooks. They look forward to their paychecks and how to dubiously pad them.
Majority still don’t get it. The problem aren’t the wicked, clueless, witless, selfish and deceptive politician; a lot of the led are equally wicked, clueless, witless, selfish and deceptive too. Lack of virtue isn’t the exclusivity of politicians. The problem is the unthinking mindset of the mass of people.
Underperforming and selfish politicians, and false materialistic clerics continue to hold sway over the mass of people because they are unthinking (heedless, unmindful and not having the power of thought).
Again, I maintain, as a man thinketh, so he is. As Singapore thinketh (leading to their doing), so are they. And has Nigeria had been thinking (and doing), so she had been experiencing. But I believe this is gradually changing by the sustained sensitization efforts of broadly enlightened individuals from around the country through the instrumentality of social media.
We can rightly think and act our way into the greatness we desire or wallow in the depression of our hitherto unthinking ways.
We will review and take appropriate action.