Gordon Obua, the detained ex-CSO to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been denied his medications despite being diabetic and hypertensive, his lawyer has alleged.
Obua was detained by the State Security Service (SSS) on Thursday in its ongoing investigation of the spending of security funds as well as oil theft under Jonathan.
But Onochie Onwuegbuna, the lead partner at Zeran Legal, has issued a press statement on behalf of Obua to complain about the conditions under which he is being detained.
He also asked for Obua’s unconditional release.
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Onwuegbuna, who said he was the lawyer to the former CSO, alleged that his client is being witch-hunted as part of a plan against “marked” individuals who served and held offices in the Jonathan administration of “in other to implicate them by all means for phantom crimes or offences”.
Although he said Obua has been denied food and water by the SSS, TheCable understands that he is on a hunger strike to protest his being held in solitary confinement.
The full text of the statement
We have been briefed and our services retained by the family of Mr. Gordon Obua, the Chief Security Officer to former President Goodluck Jonathan (Our Client) in respect of his present harassment and detention by the State Security Services (SSS).
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The facts as narrated to us by our Client’s family are as follows:
- Our Client, a serving officer of the State Security Services was ordered to report to the Headquarters to meet with the Acting Director General (A.D.G). He consequently reported at the Headquarters at about 9am on the 8th of July 20 15 and he was kept waiting till late in the night by the Acting D.G who finally asked him to report again the next day. The exact situation played out the next day and the day after resulting on our Client reporting to the office of the A.D.G everyday from the 8th of July 2015 till the 16th of July 2015.
- On the 3rd day of reporting, our Client was orally informed by the A.D.G that there was a petition against him without telling him the contents of the alleged Petition or the identity or the Petitioner (s). Our Client requested to be availed a copy of the Petition or its contents to enable him respond accordingly however, his request was not granted, and he was rather told not to worry that such petitions are normal considering the office he previously occupied.
- On the 16th of July 2015, he reported at the office of the A.D.G by 5pm as directed, and as usual he was kept waiting till about 1am on Friday 17th July 2015 when the A.D.G informed him that he will be detained and he has been in detention since then without being informed what offence (if any) he is alleged to have committed or the reason for his detention.
- Our Client is hypertensive and diabetic to the knowledge of his employers the SSS. and as a result he has been on daily medications to manage these very severe ailments and since his detention, he has completely been denied access to these medications.
- Our Client has also been denied access to members of his family, his doctor and his lawyers and even more worrisome is the information obtained by his family that he has not eaten or drank water ever since he was detained.
The actions of the SSS and our Client’s subsequent detention constitute undue harassment and gross violation of his fundamental rights to respect for the dignity of his person and personal liberty as guaranteed by Sections 31 and 35 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In view of the much publicised siege by the SSS on the residences of the Former National Security Adviser coincidentally in the evening of the 16th of July 2015, our Client’s family believe and are justifiably apprehensive that he is being harassed and detained in furtherance of what seems to be a well calculated witch hunt, unlawful harassment gross violation of his fundamental human rights of certain “marked” individuals who served and held offices in the administration of Former President Goodluck Jonathan in other to implicate them by all means for phantom crimes or offences.
This view is further strengthened by the fact that our Client was made to report everyday since the 6th of July 2015, only to be detained in the early hours of Friday 17th of July 2015 which was public holiday with the knowledge that Monday the 20th of July 2015 is also a public holiday. The aim was clearly to ensure he is kept in detention for the period and to ensure that the earliest date available to his lawyers to approach the Courts to enforce his fundamental right is Tuesday the 21st of July 2015.
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Our Client is presently languishing in the custody of the SSS without access to his medication, food, water and drugs or to any member of his family, doctors or his lawyers and in the circumstance, we hereby call on the SSS to immediately release him as he has not been informed the facts and grounds of his detention in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
The general public is also invited to note that the SSS should be held responsible if anything untoward happens to our Client in their custody or subsequently as a consequence of his unlawful detention.
10 comments
The C.S.O should be served with a copy of the petition written against him to enable him prepare his defense though he should not be allowed to be in detention without his medication, however sickness should not be used to seek for favour on serious national issues
No amount of media propaganda should stop this ongoing cleanup of our nation. This is only the beginning. All the thieves should be hunted and jailed. They should thank their God that we don’t have dead penalty for corruption yet in Nigeria.
There is no moral justification why The former CSO
mr. Gordon Odua should be detained. Due process should be taken, the ADG do not have right to detained him without allowing him assess to the informations there are accusing him off. This attitude of arresting people out of hatred should be discourage. it is only the court that has the power to declare him as a corrupt official. Who among them is a saint? No reasonable person can lie about his or her health. if you are healthy thank God, there are thousands of people managing to survive. is it a crime to serve one’s country? please let him be taken to court than the ADG taking laws into his hand we are watching.
The man was reporting there every day for 5 days before he was finally detained, he knows exactly why he is being detained.
I support that all cases of corruption be thoroughly investigated and due process followed.
History has a way of repeating itself, though. Sambo led the team that arrested Buhari on the Sallah day that he was overthrown in 1985. On Sallah day 2015, PMB’s men put Sambo under house arrest.
After Buhari overthrew Shagari in 1983, he put Shagari under house arrest in the cozy, expensive environment of Ikoyi. Meanwhile, Alex Ekwueme who was Vice President, was kept in Kirikiri prisons. This might have been purely coincidental but not a few thought and still think it had to do with where they come from. In 2015, the ex-NSA was put under house arrest in the cozy, expensive environment of Asokoro for alleged ‘treason’ related issues. Meanwhile, the ex-CSO is languishing in detention for alleged ‘bunkering’ related issues. Again, this may be purely coincidental but there are those who will go as far as swearing that where they come from is a factor in the way they have been treated. I am a huge fan of the DSS and its professionalism, and I believe the organisation has to pick up some learning in the manner it has handled the cases of the ex-NSA and former CSO. Each of the cases could have been better handled, without the attendant PR deficit.
As a student of history, I have to note that Buhari’s attempt to deconstruct Shagari and his government was not hugely successful. With the passage of time, it became obvious that GMB had to be assessed on what his administration did and not on what Shagari did or did not do. Will history repeat itself?
Fight against corruption must be fought in all fours. However, let us avoid the mistake of 1984. Due process must also be deployed in the fight against corruption. Sai buhari Sai baba. Deal with them please so lawyers will have work to do.
When it comes to a big man suffering the same injustice they mete out to poor folks, they begin to cry all manner of cries..witch hunt, harassment, etc. Go to the police cells, prisons then you will understand what infringement on human rights mean. Who is fighting for those ones who can’t even afford a lawyer talk more of getting a media mention. This should also be a warning to every one in position of authority.. The tables could turn anyday! There is a warning in life about”burning the bridges you crossed on your way to the top”, you may need it some day!
His lawyer should file habess corpus
IN SOUND SOCIETIES, D INSTITUTIONS ARE BIGGER THAN D PESIDENT, WHILE IN NIG. ONCE IN POWER . UR BIGGER THAN D SYSTEMS. IN D NXT 4YRS, THIS RINGMALORING CAN’T PUT MORE MEGAWATTS AND OTHER INFRACTURES FOR US. ACCEPT IT NOW , NIG IS A NEAR FAILED COUNTRY.
lets the rule of law prevail n due process be followed.