A Port Harcourt-based legal practitioner, Francis Echianu, has filed petitions to the Police Service Commission (PSC), against two Police Officers for allegedly detaining him illegally in collaboration with one of his cousins, Chidi Echianu.
This is as PSC declared that the petition like similar ones, will not be treated in isolation.
The Police officers as alleged by the embattled lawyer in his petition, are ASP Jamiu Olaigbe and Inspector Ati Jonah.
Barrister Francis Echianu in the petition urged the PSC to urgently carry out investigation on the unlawful detention slammed on him by the Police officers and some other family members as instructed by his cousin Echianu.
He alleged that the two police officers with the instruction of his cousin, Chidi, who is based in Germany, arrested him (Barrister Francis Echianu), his younger brother (Chijioke Echianu) 36 and his 78-year-old father (Meshack Echianu) in a manner reminiscent of the unlawful arrest and detention of Vincent Kelly Chibuzor by the embattled former team leader of the IGP Intelligence Response Team, ACP Abba Kyari, through the directives of fraudster, Abbas Ramon Azeez, popularly known as Hushpuppi.
He lamented that the illegal detention which began on the December 24, 2020 lasted for 14 days and was sequel to trumped up allegations of threat to life which his cousin Chidi made through a petition where he accused Meshack Echianu, being his uncle and his two sons of trying to kill him as a result of a land dispute, an allegation which the legal practitioner said was baseless and orchestrated to force Meshack and his children to relinquish possession of a block of flat in their home town, Osina, Ideato North local government area of Imo state, where the said Meshack and his children had resided for the past four decades.
He therefore urged the Police Service Commission to investigate and prosecute the two police officers involved in the matter “for tarnishing the image of the Nigerian Police, bearing in mind that their pay master, Chidi Echianu is a known drug addict and peddler who was convicted and served time in jail for drug trafficking in Germany in 2008.”
The petition as deposed to, by Barrister Francis Echianu partly reads; “…On the 24th day of December 2020 in my village Umuogbu Durunogbu Osina In Ideato North Local Government, Imo State, my cousin Mr. Chidi Ahamefuna Echianu brought in from Abuja, one ASP Jamiu Olaigbe and Inspector Ati Jonah to arrest me, my father (Chief Meshack) and my junior brother Chijioke Echianu on a frivolous allegation that we threatened his life.
“That my said cousin Chidi Echianu further instructed ASP Jamiu Olaigbe and Inspector Ati Jonah in my presence to ensure that myself, my father Chief Meshack Echianu and my junior brother Chijioke Echianu were detained in Abuja until we pack out from the family house which my father Chief Meshack Echianu built with his hard earned money.
“That on 24 December 2020 the said ASP Jamiu Olaigbe and Inspector Ati Jonah carried out the unlawful instruction of Chidi Ahamefuna Echianu and moved me, my father and my junior brother to Abuja were they detained us at the Asokoro Police Station Abuja instead of Police Force Headquarters Edet House, Abuja.
“That on the 29th day of December 2020 the said ASP Jamlu Olaigbe and Inspector Ati Jonah under the Instruction of Chidi Echianu went behind and obtained a FORGED detention warrant purportedly from Upper Area Court Karu Nassarawa State and same was served on me, by Inspector Jonah on the 31” day of December 2020. The copy of the forged detention warrant Is hereby attached to this application for ease of reference.
“That while in detention I briefed one Barr. Alozie Nmerengwa through my junior brother Chinedu Echianu, a journalist who resides in Abuja to secure our release from Asokoro Police Station, who approached Upper Area Court New Karu Nassarawa State , to inquire the source of the purported detention warrant and he was duly informed by the registrar of the Court that the said detention warrant is fake.
“Our counsel Barr. Alozie Nmerengwa deposed an affidavit of facts at the Abuja High Court to corroborate the aforementioned information as same are information within his personal knowledge and same is attached to this application for ease of reference.
“That my Father Chief Meshack Echianu, my Junior brother Chijioke Echianu and my humble self were detained at Asokoro Police Station for 14 days without being arraigned before a court of competent Jurisdiction because of the illegal conspiracy between Mr. Chidi Echianu, Asp Jamiu Olaide and Inspector Ati Jonah just to ensure that my Father, a 78 years old man and my humble self endorse a document relinquishing our proprietary right of my father’s apartment and also to vacate the portion of the family house in our village which my father built with his hard earned money.
“That the reason behind this unlawful arrest and detention is hinged on a land dispute between our family and that of my cousin Mr. Chidi Echianu, rather than going to the civil court, he resorted to use ASP Jamiu Olaide and Inspector Ati Jonah to intimidate me and my family to the extent of forging a court process which is a public document just to ensure that I, my father and junior brother are perpetually detained until we agree to vacate the portion of family house built by my father which we have been living in for the past 40 years.
“Sequel from the above, we want you to make good use of your office to ensure that the above named persons were arrested and prosecuted in any court of competent jurisdiction.”
When asked about the petition in a telephone conversation in Abuja, Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer of PSC, Mr Ikechukwu Ani, said the petion which must have been forwarded to the right qusrters in the Commission, will not be treated in isolation.
“Weighty petitions like the one in question, are treated very thoroughly with all parties involved, contacted for required submissions,” he said.
