Rights groups fault Ugolor’s continued detention

We‘re still investigating, say police

ELEVEN days after the Executive Director, African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor, was arrested by the police over complicity in the killing of the Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Olaitan Oyerinde, Coalition to Save Nigeria group (CSN) and ANEEJ yesterday queried his continued detention.

The State Security Service (SSS) recently paraded six suspected killers of Olaitan.

But, Deputy Force Public Relations Officer at the force headquarters in Abuja had told The Guardian that Ugolor was still being held because investigations were still ongoing. “We have legitimate ground for holding him... We have a valid and legitimate ground for holding him and at the appropriate time, we are going to brief Nigerians on why we are holding him. Investigation is still going on.”

A statement yesterday by the chairman CSN in Edo State, Dr. Philip Ugbodaga, said: “While the security agencies are encouraged to perform their constitutional duty to thoroughly investigate the gruesome murder of Oyerinde, we are extremely sad to observe the very obvious tardiness being noticed in the investigation of the high profile murder.

“On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, a few days to the Edo State Governorship election, the Inspector General of Police during a briefing on the preparedness of his men for the election, revealed that four people had been arrested for killing Oyerinde. Similarly, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the SSS, Marilyn Ogar, also paraded six suspects before journalists in Abuja as the killers of Oyerinde.”

He said the parallel investigative reports by two Federal Government security agencies in which one indicated robbery and the other assassination called for “very serious concern.’’

Our reasonable conclusion is that a grand cover up is in the offing and to further muddle up the investigations, a close friend of Oyerinde and a very vocal critic of the Federal Government has been picked up on very spurious and laughable grounds. The questions begging for urgent answers are: Who killed Olaitan Oyerinde? Was Oyerinde killed twice by two different groups on two different occasions?  If two groups are claiming responsibility for the same crime, what is the “priced medal” to be won for the claim of responsibility? Where is the proof of evidence linking Ugolor to the murder to warrant his arrest and is he the only David in Nigeria if the killers of Oyerinde’s claim is that “one David” sent them?”

Another statement by the Policy Officer of ANEEJ, Innocent Edemhanrhia, criticised Mba’s position for the continued detention of their boss.

“We maintain that Ugolor is innocent of this wicked allegation and God has already started to vindicate him with the detailed investigation done by the SSS, which revealed the self-confessed killers of Oyerinde.

On the day the SSS paraded the suspects, the investigators and robbers revealed to the whole world that it was a robbery incident that went awry and displayed several items belonging to Olaitan and members of his household that were recovered from the robbers.

The items include: cell phones, iPod and the wedding ring collected from his in-law.

“We consider Ugolor’s continued detention as inhuman, barbaric, illegal and unlawful and an act that has already tarnished the image of Nigeria in the eyes of the international community and serious minded nations of the world. We urge the police authorities not to play politics with Ugolor and set him free unconditionally.”