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Arson: Suspect Indicts Anambra Govt, Say Police
From Charles Onyekamuo in Akwa and Yemi Akinsuyi in Lagos, 12.14.2004
Anambra State Police command has said that a man, whom it arrested in connection with the midnight blaze that gutted the Awka High Court 1, venue of the Governorship/National Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, has made useful statement indicting the state government. Addressing newsman yesterday in his office in Awka, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, said that the suspected arsonist, one Uche Nwozor from Umuodioka village is believed to have been hired by a top ranking official of the state to torch the court. But in a swift reaction, the state government, accused the police of politicising the issue and challenged the police boss to arrest and prosecute the suspected culprits in court if confident of his claim. The High Court building, housing the election petition tribunal was on Friday night torched by an arsonist guards on duty alleged threw what looked like a ball of fire at the staircase on the ground floor, which spread to the office of the secretary of the tribunal among other areas. Damage to the office was, however, said to be minimal as all documents of the tribunal are still intact. Ogbaudu said the suspect, on whom the sum of N150,000 was found, was nabbed following intelligence report received in the course of investigation into the incident. The suspected arsonist, who he described as a motor park tout, was also said to have burns on his hands and body allegedly from the petrol he used to inflame the building Ogbaudu said the government official who allegedly hired the suspect is a Special Assistant to Governor Chris Ngige, but said police would not mention his name for now because he has not been arrested. He added that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Force Headquarters, Abuja, has taken over investigations. “Of course yes, a name was mentioned. You are very right. A name was given, a very influential member of the State administration whom we learnt is a Special Assistant to the Governor. A name was given and we are looking for him to arrest. We are treading cautiously. It is not a sensible thing for a detective to start giving names. He might evade arrest. It is not wise to spill everything once it is still under investigation", the police boss said. He further said “the suspect, Uche Nwozor from Umudioka village, Awka, has been giving contradictory or conflicting accounts and statements about how he got burnt. First, he claimed he was traveling in a Mitsubishi L 300 commercial bus that was involved in an accident at Nawfia at about 1700hrs on Friday, 10th December, 2004, that the bus caught fire and he got burnt. “The Divisional Transport Officer (DTO) Abagana whose division covers the alleged scene of the accident confirmed no such accident was reported to his station. When the suspect took the detectives to the “scene of accident”, there was no evidence of an accident whatsoever. He claimed he was taken to a hospital he could not remember for treatment. He also claimed he went to a pharmacy he could not disclose. The suspect also did not go to any hospital for treatment for reasons best known to him, even though the sum of N150, 000 was recovered from him. “Information at our disposal indicates that he was hired to burn the Election Tribunal Office in Awka. The said sum of N150, 000 was recovered from the suspect’s younger brother, one Azuka Nwozor, 19 years old who had been keeping the money. The said Azuka stated that the suspect gave him the N150, 000.00 on Saturday morning for safekeeping. His brother (i.e. suspect) did not tell him how he got the money. “When suspect learnt that he was to be taken to Abuja, he asked his younger brother Azuka to bring N50, 000.00 to him. On the strength of this information, Azuka was arrested and the balance of N100, 000.00 recovered from him. Azuka is now in custody". While stating that the case has been transferred to the Force CID Abuja for further investigation, the police boss however disclosed that “from all the evidence we had so far, there is no linkage yet, no correlation between what happened in the past, (Nov. 10 –12 mayhem) and this one”. A statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Chris Olakpe, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) also stated that two security guards attached to the tribunal office has also made some valuable statement, adding that more suspects were expected to be arrested as investigation into the case progresses. Commenting on the arrest, Inspector Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tafa Balogun, disclosed that the police investigation will unmaske all those behind the arson for immediate prosecution. Meanwhile, the State government in a statement issued by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Nnoruka Udechukwu (SAN), said the police were mixing politics with issues and challenged Ogbaudu to arrest and prosecute the culprits in court if he was sure of his claims. The statement reads: "The attention of the Government of Anambra State has been drawn to a press Conference addressed by the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, on the 13th day of December 2004. "In that press conference, the Commissioner of Police was said to have indicted senior officials of the Government of Anambra State and claimed that they were responsible for the fire incident at the State High court building which houses the Governorship and National Assembly Elections Tribunal. "The Government of Anambra State hereby states as follows: -The conduct of the Commissioner of Police in this respect is a breach of the due process of the criminal justice system of Nigeria. Trial by the police through press conference is unknown to the Nigeria Constitution. What is expected and what the constitution and the criminal procedure law prescribe is that police should conduct criminal investigations and charge any suspect before a court of law. "The constitution of Nigeria gives to every citizen the fundamental right to a presumption of innocence, and a right to trial before a court and not trial by the Commissioner of Police at a press conference. It is a breach of the constitution for the commissioner of police to try people through press conferences whether as an end in itself or as a prelude to a trial before the court. "The Government of Anambra State can only state as a matter of empirical deduction that by this unconstitutional behavior the Commissioner of Police is advancing the script of those for whom he stands privy for the sponsored programme of destabilizing the Government of Anambra State, an event for which the whole world stood witness to the omissions and commissions of the Nigeria Police under Mr. Felix Ogbaudu during the carnage that took place in Anambra State between the 9th and the 12th of November, 2004". The statement added that: "It is on record that the tribunal currently sitting at the Chief Judge's court at Awka first mooted the idea of transferring further proceedings to Abuja. The APGA, parties to proceedings before the tribunal, did not express a view on the matter. But counsel to Dr. Chris Nwabueze Ngige opposed any such transfer. This indication of an intention to transfer the sitting of the tribunal out of Awka is consistently opposed by counsel representing the Governor of Anambra State. It is therefore nothing but share exercise in calumny for any body to insinuate that the same government set its own High Court building on fire". While noting that it was Ogbaudu who was at Ibadan when the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Chief Bola Ige, SAN was killed in circumstances which have proved totally beyond the capacity of the Nigeria Police to unravel, the state government said the police boss could not also unravel that criminal act and identify the culprits. "It is obvious that under his command those who unleashed arson in Anambra State between the 9th and the 12th of November, 2004 would never be found and dealt with according to law, neither would those who set out to burn the tribunal's place of sitting. "Anambra State Government expects the Commissioner of Police to investigate the fire incident and turnover the suspects to the courts for trial. The Commissioner of Police must stop mixing politics with his duties", it added.
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