Efio-Ita Nyok|20 July 2016|8:24AM
Sequel to the call by the Office of the Attorney-General of Cross River State to the Nigerian Police Force to declare social and political commentator Ifere Paul wanted in connection to the recent trend of kidnapping and robbering ongoing in the state capital, Calabar the counsel to Paul, First Baba Isa of Obono, Obono & Associates have written a petition to the Inspector General of the Nigerian Police Force, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, to halt the unlawful usage of the police by the government of Cross River State to hound and persecute critics of the government. Excerpt:
The Inspector General of Police,
Louis Edet House,
Area 11, Garki,
Abuja.
Sir,
A PETITION AGAINST THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CROSS RIVER STATE AND THE CROSS RIVER STATE GOVERNMENT FOR CALLING ON THE POLICE TO DECLARE IFERE PAUL, AN AVID CRITIC OF THE CROSS RIVER STATE GOVERNMENT, WANTED FOR PURPORTED ROBBERY AND KIDNAPPING.
We are Legal Practitioners and Advocates to Ifere Paul, hereinafter referred to as our client and on whose instructions we write to you.
Ifere Paul is a social and political commentator who is known to be a consistent and avid critic of the Governor and government of Cross River State, writing several articles, published on several online, social media and main print media platforms.
His activities, which are constitutional, have apparently irked the governor and government of Cross River State to the point where they have resorted to plain intimidation, abuse of power and flagrant attempt to abuse functions of the police by using them to cower our client.
Today, the 19th of January 2016, the Attorney General of Cross River State, while addressing a press conference instructed the Police to declare our client wanted in connection to the incessant robbery and kidnapping that has bedeviled the State in recent times.
The only ”crime” of our client is that he has been exercising his fundamental human right of freedom of information to inform the public, through his updates on social media, of the said incessant kidnappings and robbery, which is already public knowledge in the state.
Sir, we are calling your attention to this development in Cross River State, because we believe that the Police Force under your command should not be allowed to be a tool to settle political scores and intimidate political opponents who are ordinary Nigerians, whose views are contrary to the views of our super Governors and their aides and cronies.
A governor who has failed to motivate and work with the police in his state to fight crime should not be allowed to use the same police force to harass ordinary citizens, just because they wrote or report such crimes. A governor or government that has made every effort and used every opportunity to make the police look bad in the discharge of their duties cannot be allowed to use the same police force to settle political scores.
Sir, our client has written several petitions to the EFCC, ICPC, DSS, etc. In his bid to expose the corruption, nepotism and crass incompetence going on in the Cross River State government under the leadership of Senator Benedict Ayade; thus, it is only logical that this call by the Attorney General of Cross River State, to declare our client wanted for purported robbery and kidnapping is calculated to kill these petitions. This cannot be allowed to happen.
Politicians cannot be allowed to use the police force as a puppet for their political games. This should not happen under your watch, Sir. If every person who reports on kidnapping and robbery is declared wanted by the police, then every journalist, blogger and most citizens will be declared wanted for heinous crimes they know nothing about.
Our client is a known writer and critic, whose location is known at any point in time. He deserves an award and commendation from the Cross River State Government for reporting on the activities of robbers and kidnappers in the State; a commendation he has been getting from members of the public.
Sir, you are humbly requested to use your office to ensure that the Police Command in Cross River State act within their constitutional responsibilities and not allow themselves to be used by the government of Cross River State to settle political scores.
Yours sincerely,
F. Baba Isa.
Pp: Obono, Obono & Associates
07037162029
Cc:
Director General, DSS
Attorney General of the Federation
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger & the Editor of Negroidhaven.org (Negroid Haven)
