|
untitled
Extortion from Herbie Hide
The relationship between the Nigerian police and the citizens that it ought to protect at all times has always
been more contentious than normal. Contact between the two parties has often been marked by rancorous tales of
extortion, abuse, assault and sundry neglect.
This tale of disappointment and pain has once more been replicated in the recent case involving the police and
former World Boxing Organisation (WBO) champion, Herbert Okechukwu Maduagwu, popularly known as Herbie Hide.
Herbie Hide resides in England, where he built his boxing career. An effort by the boxer to establish a presence
at home in Nigeria has unfortunately turned into a nightmare for him. According to Hide�s story to the media, he
had in a quest to have a home in his father land, bought a piece of land at Asokoro, Abuja, which he had plans
to develop without much delay. Since he is not in a position to supervise such property development from his base
abroad, he contracted out the job. After spending over N40 million, he came home hoping to take possession of the
house.
Sadly, those he contracted to do the job never did it. He alleged that on his arrival in Nigeria his contractors
connived with the police to detain him when he sought explanations for his project that had not been executed after
being paid for. He further alleged that the sum of 4,000 pounds sterling was extorted from him in detention while
his lawyer was also made to pay N40, 000 to release him on bail.
Going by Herbie Hide�s reported ordeal, in one fell swoop, he faced embezzlement, illegal detention, assault, and
extortion, just because he set out to invest his hard earned money in Nigeria. It is despairing that in a switch
of curious irony, the victim became the accused.
The case of Herbie Hide is an indictment on the Nigerian security system. His experience and public outcry cast
further slur on the police. Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Tafa Balogun needs particularly to investigate the
Herbie Hide matter, with a view to recovering the man�s reportedly stolen resources and sanctioning all those involved
in the varied raw deals meted out to Hide.
Here, is a Nigerian who made his money abroad after a long spell of hard work as a boxer in the international scene
coming home to invest part of his wealth.His decision to come back to Nigeria to invest is apparently informed
by a love for his motherland.Herbie Hide�s desire to repatriate part of his wealth to Nigeria simply follows the
gospel the government has been preaching relentlessly to Nigerians abroad. What wrong has the man now done to warrant
the humiliation and loss he has been subjested?
Herbie Hide�s ordeal will certainly compound Nigeria�s image problem abroad. The involvement of the police in the
sordid affair makes the matter worse for the country.
For one, it will send a wrong signal to Nigerians abroad who may have been nursing the intention of coming home
to avail themselves of the new conducive environment for investment which the government has been promoting. What
Herbie Hide met at home is not new, and it is the fact of this that has been the strongest hinderance to the attraction
of foreign investments into the country. He will surely have negative stories to tell his fellow compatriots out
there.This is why government should move in to investigate this case and reassure the disillusioned Hide.
The incident also exposes the long way government�s loudly declared war against corruption still has, especially
in critical parts of the machinery of the state. If a citizen is unlucky to fall into the hand of crooks and scammers
who navigate the vast world of private business, such vital segment of public zone as the police and other security
agencies should provide protection for citizens at all times. We shudder to think that there are elements of truth
in Herbie Hide�s allegations concerning police collaboration with some crooks to undo an innocent man.
The nagging question is, of course, why he should raise such a public cry if indeed he had not passed through the
harrowing experience he reported? It must be noted though, that reports of the police especially or some other
security agencies conniving with shady elements at different junctures to make victims of innocent citizens did
not begin with Herbie Hide�s case. But such a situation needs to be fought and contained. It is an affront to wholesome
values and security in the society.
There are certain incidents and circumstances which the government must address decisively if it truly wants the
world to take it serious in its declared war against corruption and other social vices.Herbie Hide�s case is one
case that must not be treated with levity. It has the capacity of telling the world beyond the borders of Nigeria
that this is a society where criminals receive heavy helping hand from those who ought to fight crime.
We call on the IGP to intervene in this matter and set up an inquiry that will unravel those who participated in
this ignominous act as well as exact appropriate punishment so as to restore the dignity and pride of the Nigerian
police, at home and before the international community.
All efforts should be made to see that Herbie Hide recovers his monies; the one he paid for to develop a property
in his country, the one allegedly stolen by those in police station in the guise of safeguarding it for him and
the N40, 000 paid for his bail. After all in our statute books, bail is free. There is the urgent need to investigate
seriously all the issues that have been thrown up by this unfortunate incident.
© 2004 @ Champion Newspapers Limited (All Right Reserved).
Powered By dnetsystems.net dnet®
|
|
