Police Grant Anambra Labour Leaders Bail
From Charles Onyekanmuo in Awka
Anambra State Police Commi-ssioner, Mr. Felix Ogbandu yesterday ordered the realse of the nine Labour leaders in the State arraested Monday in the state, while monitoring complaince with the nationwide four day strike.
Their release was sequel to a protest March by the state chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by Mr. Charles Onyeagba who stormed the state police command Awka to protest what they called illegal detention of their colleagues, and pleaded to be detained equally.
The bail granted the labour leaders was however not without condition as they were suretied with N100,000 each and one surety in like sum. The chapter President of Court Registrars Association in the state, Mr. B.O. Mbanefo signed the bail bond for the release of the labour leaders which included, Mr. Alex Ubani, Donatus Ubani, Emma Nnaemeka, Tony Obazie, Isaac Nwosu, Chidiebere Onwudiwe, Christopher Ejiofor, Pastor Obi Ngenegbo and Oliver Dinne.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr. Kolapo Shofoluwe said the labour leaders were taken to court yesterday morning only to discover that the courts were not sitting. He said the police were to arraign them for allegedly breaching public peace and will re-arrest and charge them to court. He attributed the bail granted the labour leaders to appeals from people he described as credible Nigerians who came to plead on their behalf.
But the labour leaders were undeterred, and vowed to continue to campaign for reversal of the obnoxious pump price of petrol. They also demanded for immediate resignation of Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at the Central Police station, Awka, Mr. Olalekan Oke for illegally detaining the labour leaders and infringing on their rights.
Citizens Right Initiative (CRI) a Non-Governmental organisation led by Mr. Chuka Obele Chuka, a lawyer and their civil society coalition patners also marched to the police command in Awka demanding the unconditional release of the labour leaders who they noted were arrested while carrying out civic education and enlightenment programme along zik's Avenue, Awka with regard to the on-going four day warning strike.
They demanded for the resignation of Oke whom they alleged ordered the dehumanization and detention of the labour leaders, and boosted that they had fallen into his trap. They noted that DPO Oke had a brush with some labour activitis in March when they were monitoring compliance with correct sale of fuel pump price at some filling stations.
Oke, whom they noted effected the arrest of the labour leaders without any warrant of arrest had in marce threatened to deal with the labour officials one day and had gotten his chance.
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