The Concerned Citizens Leadership Integrity and Transparency Advocacy Initiative (CLITAAI) has raised alarm over the alleged unlawful arrest and continued incommunicado detention of Mr. Owolemi Emorioloye, who was arrested on Thursday, January 15th at Igbokoda, Ondo State, by operatives of a security agency.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by Mr Adebayo Johnson and Mr Daniel Ikuesan, CLITAAI, Chairman and Secretary respectively.
As at the time of this statement, his whereabouts remain unknown, with no official information on the reason for his arrest.
Eyewitness accounts recounted that armed operatives, who arrived in two Hilux vehicles, arrested Mr. Emorioloye and whisked him away to an undisclosed location.
Credible information suggested that the arrest may have been carried out by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).
Disturbingly, Mr. Emorioloye has been denied access to his family and legal counsel, in clear violation of his fundamental rights.
In a video currently in circulation, the wife of Mr. Emorioloye, Mrs Ajoke Emorioloye, together with his mother, openly allegedly accused the Minister of Interior, Mr. Bunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the Ondo State Representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Otito Atikase, of allegedly instigating the arrest.
These allegations are claims made by the family and are yet to be officially confirmed.
It would be recalled that Mr. Emorioloye has been outspoken in questioning and exposing issues surrounding the credentials and Curriculum Vitae of the Honourable Minister of Interior, raising grave concerns that this arrest may be retaliatory and intended to silence dissent.
Speaking on behalf of CLITAAI, the Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Johnson, described the arrest as “a dangerous descent into lawlessness,” while the Secretary, Comrade Ikuesan Daniel, warned that continued silence by the authorities could erode public confidence in democratic governance.
CLITAAI therefore demands the immediate release of Mr. Emorioloye or his prompt arraignment before a court of competent jurisdiction, as required by law.
The organization further calls on the DSS, the Federal Government, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Nigerian Bar Association to urgently intervene.
The group added that Nigeria must not become a country where citizens are arrested without due process, held incommunicado, or punished for exercising their right to free expression.and that the rule of law must prevail.
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