Ebun-olu Adegboruwa
* Nasir El-Rufai May Be Instrumental To The Arrest
* As Activist Whereabouts, Not known
* I do not encourage statements or posts that disparage leadership,
Adegboruwa says
Human Rights Activist, Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, Esq., has appealed
to the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in
Kaduna State and Governor Nasir El-Rufai, to direct the immediate
release of Mr Segun Onibiyo or ensure that he is arraigned before a
competent court of law, for whatever offense that may have been
alleged against him.
Ebun-olu Adegboruwa, Esq., made this appeal in a press statement
released on the 25th day of November, 2018, and titled,
”APPEAL FOR THE RELEASE OF MR. SEGUN ONIBIYO”.
Mr. Adegboruwa in his usual manner has questioned the arrest and
detention of the Activist. According to him, although he does not
encourage statements and posts that seem to disparage leadership,
fact remains that due process must be followed at all time.
He highlighted the fact that there have been different accounts
as to Mr. Onibiyo’s whereabout, but if indeed he is in custody on
the behest of the State Governor or the IGP,
then the needful should be done which is to get him released or
taken to a court of competent jurisdiction.
”It was alleged that the Governor of Kaduna State, Governor
Nasir El-Rufai, may have been instrumental to his arrest and
subsequent detention, even when this has not been proved at
all.
”Many accounts abound as to the whereabouts of Mr Segun Onibiyo,
as to whether he is in police or prison custody, without a court
order.
”Whereas I do not subscribe to statements and posts that tend to
disparage the leadership in any way, our Constitution in its
section 39 has guaranteed to every citizen the inalienable freedom
of expression and the press. Democracy thrives on free speech,
where the right to receive and disseminate information should not
be negotiable in any way at all.
”However, where the exercise of the freedom of speech may have
resulted into the infringement of any known law or a violation of
the right of other citizens, the appropriate thing is to follow the
due process of law, in dealing with such cases.
”Under and by virtue of section 35 of the 1999 Constitution, a
citizen of Nigeria should not be in custody beyond 24 hours,
without being charged to court for any offense that may be alleged
against him. Mr Onibiyo was said to have been arrested on November
23, 2018, in Kaduna and his fate and present location are said to
be unknown.
”I therefore appeal to the Inspector General of Police, the
Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State and Governor Nasir El-Rufai,
to direct the immediate release of Mr Onibiyo or ensure that he is
arraigned before a competent court of law, for whatever offense
that may have been alleged against him,” he said.
He further advised that as the country approaches the 2019
General Elections, it is necessary for our leaders to eschew some
level of tolerance and for citizens to exercise restraint in the
publication of tendentious and reckless statements, that may heat
up the polity and be exploited for other purposes.
TNL recalls that Mr Segun Onibiyo, Kaduna based online
personality and activist, was arrested by men of the Kaduna State
Police Command, allegedly over his Facebook posts considered too
critical of the Buhari administration.
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