Chairman, House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream) and
representative, Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal constituency, Hon. Dakuku Peterside,
has condemned the torture by police in Rivers State of Hon. Chidi Lloyd who is
currently being detained over the fracas that broke out in the Rivers State
House of Assembly on July 9.
According to Peterside, more evidence of systematic torture on the leader of Rivers State House of Assembly has emerged. Lloyd who reported to Police Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday 23 July following an earlier invitation by the police has been consistently abused by hitting, battering, pushing, kicking, handcuffing and uttering of obscenities thereby demeaning him all in a bid to coerce and compel him to obtain an involuntary extra-judicial confessional statement.
This torture, sadly is taking place at the Rivers State Police Command where he was transferred to under the strict and personal supervision of the state police commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu. For the records, let us state that section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended prohibits these crude and barbaric conduct of Commissioner of Police of Rivers State as every citizen of this country is entitled to respect for his human dignity and Mbu does not have unbridled power to deprive any citizen of this constitutionally guaranteed right, especially in a democracy.
For Peterside therefore, “this is not only condemnable but regrettable. Rivers State Police Command under Mbu seems not to be bothered by the fact that any evidence that is obtained by force, torture, intimidation or by any form of abuse is not admissible in the court of law, and this is unfortunate”.
The lawmaker wondered why this is happening at this time despite the intervention of the National Assembly. “This inhuman conduct by Rivers State Police command is not only a gross abuse of the fundamental human rights of the accused but further confirms our fears that Mbu is out to eliminate Lloyd who has been subjected to horrific ordeal since his return to Rivers State and other pro-ameachi Lawmakers.”
This ugly development in our country today is antithetical to the Geneva Convention which expressly demands that countries take effective measures to prevent torture within its borders. Other international laws also confirm that torture and other mistreatment of persons in custody are also prohibited in all circumstances under international human rights law.
This, no doubt, is diminishing and a major setback to our nascent democracy.”
However, Peterside commended the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar for the civility and professionalism he exhibited during Lloyd’s short stay at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
He therefore called on “the police high command to do the needful and stop subjecting the accused to these inhumanities until full investigation into the crisis is concluded. He has neither been convicted of any offence nor condemned to perpetual incarceration in police custody by any court of law.”
According to Peterside, more evidence of systematic torture on the leader of Rivers State House of Assembly has emerged. Lloyd who reported to Police Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday 23 July following an earlier invitation by the police has been consistently abused by hitting, battering, pushing, kicking, handcuffing and uttering of obscenities thereby demeaning him all in a bid to coerce and compel him to obtain an involuntary extra-judicial confessional statement.
This torture, sadly is taking place at the Rivers State Police Command where he was transferred to under the strict and personal supervision of the state police commissioner, Mbu Joseph Mbu. For the records, let us state that section 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended prohibits these crude and barbaric conduct of Commissioner of Police of Rivers State as every citizen of this country is entitled to respect for his human dignity and Mbu does not have unbridled power to deprive any citizen of this constitutionally guaranteed right, especially in a democracy.
For Peterside therefore, “this is not only condemnable but regrettable. Rivers State Police Command under Mbu seems not to be bothered by the fact that any evidence that is obtained by force, torture, intimidation or by any form of abuse is not admissible in the court of law, and this is unfortunate”.
The lawmaker wondered why this is happening at this time despite the intervention of the National Assembly. “This inhuman conduct by Rivers State Police command is not only a gross abuse of the fundamental human rights of the accused but further confirms our fears that Mbu is out to eliminate Lloyd who has been subjected to horrific ordeal since his return to Rivers State and other pro-ameachi Lawmakers.”
This ugly development in our country today is antithetical to the Geneva Convention which expressly demands that countries take effective measures to prevent torture within its borders. Other international laws also confirm that torture and other mistreatment of persons in custody are also prohibited in all circumstances under international human rights law.
This, no doubt, is diminishing and a major setback to our nascent democracy.”
However, Peterside commended the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar for the civility and professionalism he exhibited during Lloyd’s short stay at the Police Headquarters in Abuja.
He therefore called on “the police high command to do the needful and stop subjecting the accused to these inhumanities until full investigation into the crisis is concluded. He has neither been convicted of any offence nor condemned to perpetual incarceration in police custody by any court of law.”
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