Ijaw group condemns the unlawful arrest, detention of Daniel Ezekiel, accuses DSS of lawlessness

Ijaw People’s Development Initiative, (IPDI) have condemned in strongest term what they described as unlawful arrest and detention of its spokesman Comrade Daniel Ezekiel by operatives Department of State Security, DSS from Benin on a trump up allegations by suspected criminals who should be in jail.

The group in a statement signed by its Comrade Ozobo Austin, berated men of DSS Benin, Edo State for unlawfully arresting Comrade Daniel Ezekiel and allegedly chaining him down in DSS custody for more than 8 hours, describing their actions a barbaric.

According to the statement made available to ADVOCATE, which read in parts:

“We are dismay over the unlawful, barbaric arrest and detention of our spokesman Comrade Daniel Ezekiel. The DSS in Benin are a disappointment, same DSS who refused to act on Ezekiel petition against one Robert Okubo, hastily went and arrest Daniel Ezekiel when the supposed criminal told them lies over a matter that is in the court.

“Ezekiel was chained and detained in DSS custody for over 8hours and was released on the swift intervention of good spirited Ijaw leaders at about 8: pm yesterday 19th June, 2019 night in Benin.”

They alleged that Mr. Robert Okubo was a cultist and now an ex-militant, who allegedly seized the opportunity of Yaradua amnesty programme to apply for amnesty and have had the privileged of working with the previous Edo state government.

The further accuse Mr Okubo of terrorizing the people in Olodiama kingdom in the State who are opposed to his criminal activities in the past 10 years but sadly have continue to enjoy government cover.

“He induces fear and terror in the entire Olodiama Kingdom. No one dares him and go scot free. He is a self-styled Warlord in the Olodiama kingdom. He chose to remains a terror and a tool of oppression to harmless citizens, and decides to make life miserable for law abiding citizens of Olodiama people, using state cohesive power and his closeness to the corridors of power to tortured, maimed and framed up and arrest anyone who is against his tyrannical dispositions.

“Based on these facts, our spokesman wrote petition to Nigeria police Zone 5 and the Department of State Security (DSS) on the 23rd April, 2019 for Robert Okubo to be investigated and duly prosecuted. While waiting to hear from DSS on its investigation over our petition, Robert Okubo ordered his thugs to unleashed mayhem on one Mr. Edafe Avro to a state of coma, and in the process he lost one of his eyes. This brazen act of lawlessness and ‘above the law posture of Robert Okubo’ made us to do follow up letters to His Excellency Godwin Obaseki and DSS on 7th June, 2019.

“To our greatest shock, on getting to DSS office in Benin by our spokesman,  One DSS personnel Mr. Zakari  PSO who is a very close confidant of this criminal Robert Okubo chased and threatened to have him locked up if he fails to get out of their office, and they refused to accept the second petition.

“It is shameful, DSS who refused to act on Daniel Ezekiel petition against Okubo, allowed itself to be manipulated by a common criminal and turned against the petitioner.

“The DSS in Benin is a big disappointment. A criminal element who is under investigation by the police in Zone 5 could manipulate DSS, what a pity? What right does a criminal has under the law to arrest anybody. This can only be seen in Nigeria.

“This is the height of lawlessness of the DSS in Benin; it is appalling that security agents now chose to be friends of criminals, rather than being friends to law abiding people in Nigeria. This equally shows that DSS in Benin are for the highest bidders.

“In an attempt to evade justice, the criminal element Okubo tried to stop his investigation by instituting a suit of libel against our spokesman. On Tuesday 18th June, 2019 which was a day fixed for the hearing of the case Robert Okubo brought against our spokesperson. Robert refused to appear in court.  While comrade Daniel Ezekiel ,our spokesman was in court premises, DSS personnel numbering 10 invaded the court premises and kidnapped him in getsapo manner to their office, where he was manhandled and brutally chained like a criminal, with Robert Okubo bragging up and down before him that he does not know who he is . In his presence Robert Okubo handed over money to them for a job well done in humiliating our spokesman. What an abuse of office by the DSS?

“Most disgusting is the arrest of Ezekiel over a matter that is in the court. Okubo sued for label and should allow the court to preside over it. This is an abuse of court process. The court should charge Okubo for contempt in the next adjourned date.

“This is not only absurd but disgusting that a criminal could be treated and pampered with kid gloves like this, and that DSS will descend so low and threw caution to the wind in becoming advocate for a murderer and abuser of rights of law abiding individuals.

“We therefore call on President Muhammadu Buhari, National security adviser, Baba Gana, Senate president, speaker house of representatives, Inspector general of police, IG, AIG zone5 and director general of DSS to bring to book Robert Okubo and these lawless DSS men in Edo state who have turned themselves into Robert Okubo errand boys, especially Zakari who never hide his relationship with a criminal whom he is suppose to arrest and throw to prison.”