Jones Abiri: IYC Calls For Release Or Trial Of Other Niger Delta Detainees

Jones Abiri

The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide has called for the immediate release or arraignment in court of other Niger Delta youths in the detention of the Directorate of State Security Services amidst the arraignment of Yenagoa based journalist, Mr. Jones Abiri.

BigPen Online recalls that Mr Abiri, amidst widespread local and international condemnation of his prolonged detention by DSS was arraigned before a magistrate court on Friday, July 27 2018 in Abuja.

Jones Abiri was taken into custody in July 2016 by Nigeria’s State Security Service, which accused him of militancy but failed to file criminal charges within two days as required by law.

Reacting to the development, IYC President, Mr. Eric Omare said that it took the massive campaign of the Amnesty International, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), human rights organizations, regional pressure groups and the efforts of human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana to force the DSS to hurriedly charge Mr. Abiri to the Abuja magistrate court.

He however said that the world need to know that apart from Mr. Jones Abiri, there are several other Niger Delta youths who were arrested in connection with the Niger Delta Avengers inspired hostilities in the Niger Delta region.

Omare said that such youths are in the detention of the DSS without trial.

According to the lawyer, “It is the height of illegality and against the letter and spirit of the 1999 Constitutional of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for citizens to be arrested and kept in DSS detention without trial for up to two years.

He named youths still being held by the secret police to include, Mr. Alex Odogu (Spokesman, IYC, Abuja Chapter), Mr. Census Oluba, Mr. Germachy Oboko, John Fortune, Michael John, Gabriel Ogbu, Justice Golubus, Joshua Golubus, Norway Suku, Felix Mieminye among several others

In some of the cases like that of Mr. Census Oluba, courts of competent jurisdictions both in Delta State and Abuja have ordered for his release but the DSS refused to obey the orders of court, Omare said.

According to him, there is nowhere under Nigerian law which empowers the DSS to arrest and detain citizens indefinitely without charging them to court.

If the DSS has any case against the arrested Niger Delta youths, then they should be charged to court to answer for the allegations against them, he insisted.

“The IYC is convinced that Mr. Jones Abiri was charged to court because of the local and international campaign for his release led by Amnesty International and Femi Falana.

Consequently, the IYC call on the Nigerian government to immediately release all Niger Delta youths in their detention or charge them to a court of competent jurisdiction without delay”, Omare added.