Controversy appears to be trailing the arrest by the Police in Benin yesterday of Rev David Ugolor,Executive Director of Afri Network For Environment And Economic Justice,ANEEJ in the course of investigations into the assassination of Olaitan Oyerinde ,principal private secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.Ugolor’s arrest remains a puzzle to outsiders because the late Oyerinde was his bosom friend .
But just as the member of the public were wondering what may be happening, a press release by ANEEJ today gave some insight into why the cleric was arrested just as the group alleged that Ugolor was being framed up.
Though the Police have yet to issue a statement on the matter at the time of this report,Innocent Edemhanria, programme/policy officer of ANEEJ said in a statement today that “Between 5-6pm, the security men (who arrested Ugolor) met with some relations of Rev. David Ugolor and his Lawyer and informed him that one of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Comrade Olayinta Oyerinde had mentioned the name “DAVID” to them hence his arrest. Ugolor was taken for identification parade in presence of his lawyers and relations. The suspect whom is accusing David Ugolor is of a northern Nigeria origin and is completely unknown to Rev.
David Ugolor , colleagues and friends. At the moment, the police are still holding onto David as they carry out their investigations on the allegation we consider spurious”
ANEEJ in its statement added, “As a civil society organisation, we have discharged our duties creditably and professionally and we including being critical of government’s policies and programmes . But we suspect strongly that somebody high up somewhere is framing up our Executive Director Rev. David Ugolor over the murder of the personal aide to the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.We equally understood the impeccable private relationship that existed between the slain Comrade Olayintan Oyerinde and our Executive Director. It was convivial and certainly not what any of them could plot the killing of the other.”
And so the puzzle continues.A civil society heavyweight told Newsdiaryonline.com that however puzzling this may seem ,the police should be allowed to carry out the investigations thoroughly.
Read the full text ANEEJ statement below:
“David Ugolor being framed up in murder of Olaitan Oyerinde
At about 2.05pm on Friday heavily armed security operatives some wearing Federal SARS jacket, others plain clothes swooped on our office and took away our Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor. The security operatives which numbered over ten had picked him up from somewhere in town and brought him to the office. They had ransacked his private home and office and took away some items. Staff of the office had their cell phones taken away from them and switched off for as long as the security men held them hostage which lasted for about three hours. They later returned the phones at about 4.35pm before vacating the office premises. A staff of Centre for Social Justice Mr. Kingsley Nnajiaka was at ANEEJ secretariat then and was also held hostage for the same period.
Between 5-6pm, the security men met with some relations of Rev. David Ugolor and his Lawyer and informed him that one of the suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Comrade Olayinta Oyerinde had mentioned the name “DAVID” to them hence his arrest. Ugolor was taken for identification parade in presence of his lawyers and relations. The suspect whom is accusing David Ugolor is of a northern Nigeria origin and is completely unknown to Rev.
David Ugolor , colleagues and friends. At the moment, the police are still holding onto David as they carry out their investigations on the allegation we consider spurious.
As a civil society organisation, we have discharged our duties creditably and professionally and we including being critical of government’s policies and programmes . But we suspect strongly that somebody high up somewhere is framing up our Executive Director Rev. David Ugolor over the murder of the personal aide to the Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
We equally understood the impeccable private relationship that existed between the slain Comrade Olayintan Oyerinde and our Executive Director. It was convivial and certainly not what any of them could plot the killing of the other.
As founder of ANEEJ and its Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor entrenched a non-violent approach to development in our policy document and naturally and practically abhors violence in any form and shape. It is also important to inform the Nigerian public that Rev. David Ugolor is a life saver, not taker as his natural penchant for poverty eradication, enlarging the voice of the voiceless, assisting the poor and needy is unparallel in his almost twenty-five years of effective and result-oriented activism.
While, we wouldn’t want to obstruct police investigations on the murder of our friend, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde as a law abiding corporate citizen, we insist that Rev. David Ugolor is innocent of any accusation being leveled against him.
We call for his immediate release so he can rejoin his family.
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