Nigeria: Police officers takes ‘Black Maria’ to the Court and arranged to send it to the prison Mojekwu, as the activist was detained for petitioning EFCC over the alleged N20 billion frauds by the benue gov alia’s aide.
Reportedly, the Nigerian Police has arranged it for the activists which are to be remanded in the prison immediately after his arraignment.
On Thursday, Nigerian police took Uchenna Mojekwu to the Chief Magistrate Court-1 in Makurdi for arraignment, who is a civil rights activist and the Secretary of the Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN).
As per the reports, received on Wednesday, the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Benue State – Yabaneth Steve Hassan has detained Mojekwu on Tuesday night over a petition written against Dr. Dennis Akura, who is the Special Adviser to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Previously, in February 2024, the GICN has submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), explaining the details on how the government of Alia, through his side – Akura, has allegedly authorised and withdrew more than N20 billion from the Benue local government accounts, attaching the letters signed by the council Chairmen and Directors as evidence.
Considerably, the anti-corruption group has also submitted a copy of the petition to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the House Committee on Public Petitions, inviting the various agencies to investigate the allegation. Also, on Thursday, Mojekwu was taken to Chief Magistrate Court-01.
Notably, a source has reported that they have made arrangements for him to be remanded in prison immediately. “Black Maria from the correctional services is already situated on the court premises to receive the activist. Kelvin Mbanongun Esq. is the Chief Magistrate sitting at the Chief Magistrate Court-01 in Makurdi,” said the source.
Another source said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is waiting for them to come and adopt the petition so that its investigation will commence.
Furthermore, according to the reports, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions, filed on February 27, 2024 has summoned Akura to answer the questions that concerns the said N20 billion which are allegedly missing.
The fund was indeed a part of the federal allocations to the 23 local government areas in Benue State. Though, the invitation was reportedly turned down, by the governor’s aide.
The EFCC has now transferred the petition to its Makurdi zonal office and invited the group to adopt the petition. As it was learnt from Akura that on the other hand it allows a full investigation into the allegation, that opted to write to the police authorities in Benue State to arrest the petitioners.
Later, it was gathered that a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Benue also wrote to the petitioners that inviting them for interrogation was still alike waiting for the petition to be adopted.
Chairman of BoT or President of GICN – Barrister Edward Omaga has said that Mojekwu honoured the invitation by the police in company with other officials of GICN to defend the allegations of conspiracy.
The criminal defamation and cyberstalking levelled against him by the Special Adviser to Alia, before Akura was detained on Tuesday night, on the orders of the police commissioner – Hassan.
Other than this, Omaga vowed that the group would not fold its hands and “allow the Benue State Government to have their way through the police”, that alludes the detention of the GICN Secretary which was a plot to suppress the investigation, initiated by the EFCC and other anti-graft agencies which were about to begin.
The group has then called on President Bola Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police – Kayode Egbetokun, to intervene in the matter to ensure the fundamental human rights of Mojekwu are not breached Akura and the Benue State Government.
