APC Decries Continued Detention of Election Observers

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has
deplored the continued detention of the 182
election observers illegally arrested in Imo
State two days before last Saturday's
governorship election in Anambra State even
after the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) had publicly said they
were duly certified election observers.
The party described the action of the police as
totally inexplicable and unjustifiable, adding
that the officer and men involved in the
contempt of court and perversion of justice
should be punished to serve as a deterrent.
In a statement issued Wednesday in Abuja, by
its Interim National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji
Lai Mohammed, the party expressed shock at
the brazen contempt of court displayed by the
police when the observers were brought before
a Magistrate on Monday.
It said even though the charges of conspiracy
to commit misdemeanor, unlawful assembly
and conduct likely to breach peace were
bailable, the police acted in such an
irresponsible, unlawful and contemptuous
manner just to ensure the suspects were not
granted bail.
''Having brought the alleged suspects before a
Magistrate, one would have expected that the
Imo police command will allow the judicial
process to follow its due course. Rather, men
and officers of the police command acted in a
manner that tainted the entire Nigeria police
and called to question their motive for
arresting the innocent observers in the first
instance.
''Just before the case was called, the police
suddenly seized and took away some of the
suspects. When this came to the knowledge of
the lawyers representing the observers, they
raised it with the presiding Magistrates, who
ruled that the court will stand the matter down
for two hours so that the remaining suspects
could be produced before the court.
''Shockingly, the Officer-in-Charge (Legal) -
acting on 'orders from above' - brought out his
gun and ordered equally gun-wielding men to
forcefully return all the accused to the police
cell, and right in the presence of the presiding
magistrate and other lawyers, the suspects
were taken away and were never returned,
forcing the magistrate to adjourn the case to
December 6.
''Ultimately, the police that is a creation of the
law succeeded in thwarting the cause of
justice. It is a shame that the police decided to
bring the hallowed chamber of the magistrate
court and indeed the entire judiciary into
ridicule with a view to denying the suspects
their right to being granted bail.
''It is clear that the Gestapo style exhibited by
the police, acting on the ever-nebulous 'orders
from above,' was done so they can continue to
detain, intimidate and harass the observers,
whose only offence is that they are from Osun
State, perceived by the PDP as an enemy
state,'' APC said.
The party called on the police hierarchy, if it
had any honour left, to sanction the officer
and men involved in the contempt of court and
perversion of justice, to serve as a warning to
other policemen, who were bent on turning
Nigeria to a Banana Republic.