The Aba Unit of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) has called for the immediate release of human rights activist, Barr. St.Moses Ogbonna.
Ogbonna was arrested Tuesday in his office along St. Michael’s Road, Aba for allegedly sending inciting messages to the public against the Abia State Government.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abia State Command, Ezekiel Onyeke, said that Ogbonna is being prosecuted for allegedly publishing and circulating inciting materials to the public against the government.
In a press release endorsed by the Aba Unit Chairman, Dr. Charles Chinekezi, CLO said that the arrest is a gross violation of the fundamental human rights of Ogbonna.
The release further noted that Ogbonna, who is also the publisher of a local newspaper, The Eagle, was planning an awareness rally to inform the public about what it describes as, abject neglect of public good prevalent in the total collapse of public infrastructure in the state.
CLO roundly condemns such barbaric abuse of the rights of private citizens to express their opinion. It continued:†Such crude administrative procedure leaves much to be desired as it was the bane of the various military juntas that vandalized the foundation of this country over time and not in a modern day executive civil democracy, the statement read in part.
The group called on President Goodluck Jonathan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Human Rights Commission, and other Civil Rights Organizations, to urgently intervene to corrective such recklessness now and in future.
Recall that a combined team of police men, civil defence personnel and other security agents on Tuesday stormed 49 St. Micheal’s Road, Aba, the commercial hub of Abia state and arrested a Barr. Ogbonna over what was said to be his involvement in a planned rally titled, Weep for Aba.
Pointblanknews.com.com gathered that the rally was meant to draw attention to the poor state of infrastructure in Aba and was being put together by the activist’s NGO, Save Aba Group, was to be held on September 24, in the commercial city.
Before Ogbonna was taken away, the unwanted visitors were said to have ransacked his office at No. 49, St. Micheal’ Road and took away lap tops and other office materials.
Ogbonna was reported to have been first taken to the Aba area command’s office before he was later transferred to the State Criminal and Investigation Department, SCID, Umuahia.
A close aid of the arrested social critic told Pointblanknews.com that sometime last week, his boss was invited by officials of the State Security Service, SSS on the same issue and that after explaining to them the reason behind the rally and how it was being planned to be non violent, he was allowed to go.
Pointblanknews.com further gathered that the activist has been arraigned in an Umuahia Magistrate court which tried him on the above charges. He has been remanded in prison custody while the case has been adjourned to September 20.