Labour Party demands release of Chigbo Okoli

The Labour Party has demanded immediate release of Dr Chigbo Okoli, Chairman, sub-Committee on Registration and Revalidation of its National Transition Committee (NTC).

Tha party made the demand in a statement jointly signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the NTC, Mr Abdulwahed Omar and Mr Nnawuihe Nwauwa, respectively

In the statement made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja, the party officials said Okoli was arrested by persons suspected to be officers of the Nigeria Police Force and had been held incommunicado.

“On Tuesday, the 25th of June 2024, around 2pm, gun-wielding armed policemen swooped on Dr Okoli after he left the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police of Federal Capital Territory Command.

“They arrested him in a gestapo manner, without informing him of the offence he was suspected to have committed. Neither was he allowed to contact his lawyer nor any family member,” they said.

The officials added that Okoli has been held incommunicado since the time of his arrest and neither charged to court nor released on administrative bail.

They described Okoli as “a peaceful and law-abiding citizen of Nigeria that has neither been arrested nor accused of committing a crime”.

“Every attempt by his family, Attorneys and associates to access him has been unsuccessful.

“This is in clear violation of his fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and other statutes,” they said.

The party officials called on the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, among other security agencies, to ensure the immediate and safe release of Okoli forthwith.