The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) yesterday call for the urgent removal of the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 7, Joseph Mbu for the unlawful and criminal detention of Amaechi Anakwue, a staff of Daar Communications, owners of AIT/Rey power.
National President of NUJ, Comrade Mohammed Garba, who made the call in Abuja during an interactive session with journalists, said this became necessary considering the professionalism nature of Nigerian journalists.
According to Garba, Amaechi Anakwue was only expressing himself as a journalist in his presentation therefore there is no basis for AIG Mbu to be provoked about the word “controversial”.
He said that the union had written to the Police Service Commission (PSC) and the Inspector General of Police to take a decision on the character of Mbu within seven days, or the union would take to the streets in protest for the removal of the AIG Mbu.
The NUJ boss however, vowed that the union will not allow the issue to be swept under the carpet, stressing that it is sad for him (Mbu) to arrest and detained someone for 8hours.
“We have written to the PSC and the police authority to sanction AIG Mbu within 7 days and if nothing is done we would take to the streets in protest against this crime against humanity”.
Meanwhile the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) also described AIG Joseph Mbu as a serial embarrassment to the Police Force.
General Secretary of the Congress, Comrade Peter Ozo-Eson, said NLC views with serious concern the unlawful and unjustifiable arrest, detention and alleged torture of Mr Amaechi Anakwue, at the instance of Mr Joseph Mbu an AIG of Police.
According to him, the offence of Mr Anakwue is that he had referred to Mr Mbu as “controversial”, which in our view is neither derogatory nor libelous.
“Even if the word or sentence were otherwise, there are lawful channels of redress. Mr Mbu cannot be judge and prosecutor in his own case.
“Freedom of speech is guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to which we are all answerable in spite of our station in life.
“The arrest and detention of Mr Anakwue is therefore a calculated attempt to muscle the press and free speech in a democracy. And it does not appear to be an isolated case as a few months earlier, this same Mbu, violently broke up the Bring-Back-the – Chibok- Girls Campaign on the basis of a non-existent law, drawing international condemnation of the government.
“His antecedents in Rivers state from where he was deployed to Abuja are not less sinister. Rather than receive a reprimand, Mbu was rewarded with a choice posting and promotion, with not a few speculating that he is being positioned to be IGP,” the NLC said.
