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THURSDAY , DECEMBER 7 , 2017 ... City , Crime , Courts 08185225745 , 08055126196
Police handcuffed my hands to a car seat – BudgIT official arrested for holding meeting
Adelani Adepegba , Abuja
Moses Motoni , an official of a civic organisation , BudgIT , has narrated how his legs were chained and his hands handcuffed to a seat by some policemen who arrested him .
He stated that he was apprehended in Kaduna and brought to Abuja for holding a town hall meeting in Bida , Niger State , on budget tracking .
The victim , who was released by the police in Abuja on Wednesday , after uproar on the social media , said he saw hell in the hands of police personnel , who dehumanised and treated him like a criminal .
Speaking to journalists on his experience , Motoni explained that he was not informed about his crime , adding that the policemen simply said he was arrested for “ inciting the populace and trying to impeach the Emir of Bida .”
Motoni ’ s troubles began when he visited Niger State last Saturday to sensitise residents of the Niger South Senatorial District to the zonal intervention projects awarded to their constituency in the 2017 budget .
The projects were the installation of transformers and electrification of Nowanya-Tawadzuru , Tiffin- Emitswachi-Tawadzuru and Tako communities in the Gbako Local Government Area , Niger South Senatorial District , Niger State as stated in the 2017 Appropriation Act .
Moroni was arrested on Tuesday after he was tricked into visiting the DHL office at Markafi Market , Kaduna , to pick a parcel .
He was reportedly forced into vehicle and brought to Abuja by policemen who disguised as DHL personnel .
The BudgIT worker explained that he simply enlightened the people about the constituency projects and how to track the budget , noting that he was surprised by the allegations that he wanted to incite the public and impeach the traditional ruler in the area .
He said , “ I was arrested in Kaduna and our journey from there to Abuja was hell for me because I was handcuffed on both legs and my elbows were handcuffed to a chair , which dislocated my joints .
“ I wasn ’ t sitting ; I squatted from Kaduna to Abuja , which
• Motoni
was a journey of about two and a half hours . It was when I got to Abuja that I was told about the reason for my arrest .”
Motoni denied that his engagement with the Bida community would lead to a breach of the peace , noting that the idea of budget tracking was to encourage the community members to engage their representatives at the National Assembly and ensure that the projects were implemented .
“ They ( policemen ) said they got a complaint that I was trying to incite the public , create a breach of trust and impeach the Emir . But this is not true ; I went to the community to educate the people on how they can engage their representatives on the implementation of the projects ,” he stated .
The civic worker said he was not cowed by his detention , noting that he would still visit Niger State to continue his advocacy .
The team lead , BudgIT , Oluseun Onigbinde , explained that the budget tracking project was meant to simplify the budget and create citizens awareness about the fiscal document so they could demand accountability from their representatives .
He condemned Motoni ’ s arrest , which he alleged was instigated by the NASS representatives from the area .
He explained that shortly after the town hall meeting , a senator had made a phone call to Motoni , inviting him to a meeting in his house , which he declined “ because BudgIT tracking personnel were not allowed to meet with public officials privately .”
Onigbinde said , “ After this , we believe the senator reached out to the Nigeria Police Force and accused Motoni of plotting to topple the Emir of Bida following which he was arrested ,
Photo : Adelani Adepegba
handcuffed and taken to SARS ’ office in Abuja .”
“ We condemn this abuse of power by the police and we plan to take up the issue with President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate President ; we will also reach out to the United Nations and the United States on this issue ,” he added .
The police could not be reached for comment as the mobile phone of the Force spokesman , Jimoh Moshood , rang out .
He had also yet to reply to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of filing this report .
Afeez Hanafi
A
policeman attached to the Igbuzo Police Division , identified simply as Sergeant Abua , is allegedly on the run after shooting a student at the Delta State Polytechnic , Sofia Ogogo , and a civil servant , Victor Emeagwai , at a checkpoint in the community .
The victims were in a Toyota Corolla , driven by an estate agent , Jerry Akinlabi , when the incident happened . Ogogo and Emeagwai are Akinlabi ’ s girlfriend and friend respectively .
PUNCH Metro learnt that a team of five policemen , including Abua , had flagged down Ogogo at a checkpoint along Igbuzo Market .
One of the policemen , identified as Nwokolo , was said to have demanded money from Akinlabi and the driver told him that he did not have N200 to give him .
Nwokolo reportedly said he would take one of the N1,000 notes Jerry had on him .
As Akinlabi drove off from the checkpoint , Abua reportedly shot at the car and
Samson Folarin
Tragedy struck on Buraimoh Street in the Bariga area of Lagos State on Wednesday after an early morning fire suspected to have been triggered off by a power surge , claimed the life of a pastor , Kenneth Eze ; his wife , Favour ; and their two children , Miracle and Marvellous .
Kenneth was reported to be the pastor in charge of World Harvest Ministry in the Gbagada area of the state .
PUNCH Metro learnt that the family of four lived inside a shop where Kenneth and his wife sold drugs and provisions .
Kenneth reportedly relocated his family to the shop after he could not raise money to pay rent for his former apartment .
Our correspondent gathered from witnesses that the Ikeja Electric restored power around 2am , which allegedly triggered off the fire in the shop .
The victims were said to have been trapped by the twolevel security burglar proof at the entrance of the shop and its extension , leading to their death .
Officials of the Lagos State Fire Service , Lagos State
Pastor , wife ,
Emergency Management Agency and policemen from the Bariga division , were said to have responded to the emergency .
A LASEMA official was alleged to have collapsed during the rescue operation .
As soon as the fire was put out , relatives of the victims were said to have taken the corpses to their hometown in Umueze Ala Ogboko , in the Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State .
Burnt clothes , drugs , fans and a pot of vegetable soup were seen by our correspondent in the shop during a visit on Wednesday , as smoke still billowed from the dying flames .
Residents and family members of the victims also besieged the scene , as many sympathisers and passersby fought to catch a glimpse of the burnt shop .
Two other shops were affected by the inferno before the intervention of firefighters .
A screen printer , whose shop was opposite the victims ’, told PUNCH Metro that a power surge triggered the inferno .
“ I sleep in my shop as well because of the nature of my work . Power was restored around 2am and that was when the fire started . There was a sudden explosion in the shop . It was difficult to get close to the place because everywhere was on fire . The heat was intense .
“ Later , firefighters brought out their corpses . It was the body of the woman that was brought out first , before those of the two children . They initially couldn ’ t find the pastor . After some search , they found his corpse in the
Delta policeman shoots student
bullets pierced the back of the vehicle , hitting Ogogo , who sat at the back seat .
The bullet also grazed the back of Emeagwai , who was at the passenger ’ s seat .
Akinlabi told our correspondent that four cops , including the team leader , one ASP Akhabue , were detained by the police , while
• Ogogo
Abua evaded arrest .
He said , “ On Sunday , November 17 , 2017 , I was driving to the Igbuzor Market and on getting to a checkpoint , I met the policemen . We knew one another some months ago when I had an issue concerning a property at the station . I sounded the horn to greet them , but they did not
• Kenneth
respond .
“ One of them used his gun to hit the boot and I reversed . He said I wanted to beat the checkpoint . I told him that I assumed that they knew me very well and apologised . He demanded money . I wanted to give him N100 or N200 , but it was N1,000 notes I had on me and I explained to him .
Photo : Afeez Hanafi