By admin
The opposition Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned what it described as the harassment and illegal arrest of opposition figures in Kogi State, warning that the party may initiate far-reaching legal actions if the alleged intimidation continues.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdulmumin Ohiare Abdulsalam, the party accused authorities in the state of orchestrating the arrest and detention of a political activist and recent defector to the party, Faruk Ozigi Onimisi.
According to the NDC, Onimisi, who recently resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to join the opposition party, was allegedly taken from his residence in Kubwa, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and transported to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
The party claimed the arrest was carried out “in a kidnapping style,” alleging that the police were acting on the orders of the state government.
The NDC further alleged that the activist is being detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department of the Kogi State Police Command without access to his family, legal representation, or formal charges.
“Impeccable information available to his family, friends and political associates shows that he has been detained for days now without being charged to court, a situation which is in clear violation of his fundamental human rights,” the statement said.
The party also claimed that Onimisi is being held in “inhumane conditions” and subjected to what it described as daily torture while in solitary confinement, though the allegations could not be independently verified at the time of filing this report.
The NDC demanded the immediate release of the activist, insisting that if authorities believe he has committed any offence, he should be promptly arraigned before a competent court.
