The leadership of National Rescue Movement (NRM) has condemned in strong terms the “unwarranted circumstances” leading to the arrest of its party chieftain, High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich Egberipapa, at his residence in Usokun, Degema local government area of Rivers State.
The party has also asked President Bola Tinubu to call on the Chief of Army Staff (CAS) Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja and all the security outfits to declare the whereabouts of Egberipapa.
The national publicity secretary of the party, Sola Afuye, in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, alleged that the ‘Gestapo operation’ was carried out in the early hours of last Monday at about 3:00am when the people of the community were still asleep.
The party said, according to the report from the Rivers State Police Command, the Nigerian military was also fingered in the disappearance of Egberipapa.
“We are scared and worried that one of our own is being subjected to this kind of maltreatment without recourse to his fundamental human rights. The most painful part of this is that the whereabouts of High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich Egberipapa is unknown.
“We, as a political party, are hereby calling on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to call on the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja and all the security outfits to declare the whereabouts of High Chief Jackrich Egberipapa. We have resolved to be civil in approaching this ugly situation and also not to politicise the matter at hand, not even when our country is in dear need of peace in resolving the economic downturn. What matters most to us is the immediate release of Chief Sobomabo Jackrich Egberipapa to reunite with his family.
“We hope this will not be one of the human rights abuse cases by our security outfits that are saddled with the responsibility to protect the life and properties of every citizen irrespective of the circumstances of their birth. As law abiding political party and one with the ideology of peace and respect for the rule of law, we believe that standard operational procedure that is in tandem with the rules of engagement should be respected at all times,” the statement read in part.
The party said it was high time for President Bola Tinubu to use the instruments of his good offices to caution the anti-democratic elements in our country, adding that indeed, the president should always remember that respecting the rule of law is one of his campaign promises.
“The time to act is NOW,” it added.
“We also urge our party faithful to remain calm as we believe in the law enforcement agencies and the government to do what is right and in the interest of justice, equity, and fairness to all Nigerians and in line with the constitution and laws of the federation particularly as it affects the human rights of citizens,” the party stated.
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