Forgery: CSO Reacts as Police Release Detained Benue APC Reps Aspirant

• The release of an aspiring lawmaker by the police has generated a reaction from a civil society organisation
• National Liberty and Justice Movement (NLJM) urged the police to ensure that the agency is not intimidated by threats from politicians in Benue
• According to the organisation, the law should be allowed to take its course in the case of forgery and perjury against Engineeer Sunday Oche

A civil society organization, National Liberty and Justice Movement (NLJM) on Tuesday, May 10, described as unfortunate and an attempt to trample on justice through the sudden release of an aspirant of the House of Representatives, Sunday Oche, by the Nigeria Police.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Oche, a Benue aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was arrested and detained by the police for forgery and perjury.

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A few hours after his arrest in Otuko, Benue state, Oche seeks to represent Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency was moved to the Force Headquarters for further investigation.

Speaking on the incident, the national secretary of the NLJM, Wisdom Adeleye, warned the law enforcement agency against being suppressed by the pressure from politicians in the area.

Adeleye said while the organisation is aware of the case, it will be joining as a party in the suit

Noting that NLJM lawyers have been briefed on the matter, Adeleye who spoke in Abuja said they shall apply to join the suit as they await the arraignment of Oche.

His words:

"The same way we monitored the case of Hon. Gololo in Bauchi, we shall be actively involved in this, to ensure justice is served.

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"The Police should not allow pressure from any powerful politician to suppress them. The entire world is watching."

It was gathered that Oche's arrest was predicated upon a petition submitted at Zone 7 Police Headquarters, Abuja and addressed to the Assistant Inspector-General (AIG) in charge of the Zone on April 19, by one Michael Unogwu, who was the APC candidate for House of Representatives in the 2019 general elections.

Findings revealed that Oche allegedly forged the signature of Unogwu on his private letterhead paper, causing a letter to be transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2018, as a purported letter of withdrawal from the National Assembly race, shortly after his (Unogwu) emergence as the candidate of APC.

Reacting to the development, Lawrence Oduh, Director, Media and Publicity of Sunday Oche Campaign Organization, said the arrest was politically motivated, saying the issue was laid to rest four years ago.

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Oduh said:

"When we presented our case to the National Secretariat through the state secretariat, it was resolved and they brought a form for substitution that had a provision where Hon. Sunny Oche will sign an agreement that he is replacing the latter who has already consented to the said letter and agreed to be substituted.

"What is Hon. Oche's crime in this matter and why a matter that was laid to rest since 2018 be brought to this stage? Hon. Sunny Oche does not work at INEC nor is privy to their documents other than the ones made available by law to candidates of the said elections."

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Farah Dagogo's health crisis began days after he was arrested by officers of the police on the order of the governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike.

The lawmaker was moved to an undisclosed hospital from the police clinic because of the severity of his case.

Following Wike's directive, police arrest PDP governorship aspirant in Rivers

The police in Rivers state had arrested a member of the House of Representatives and PDP governorship aspirant Dagogo.

Dagogo's arrest followed the directive of the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, who had accused him of sponsoring thugs to attack the PDP secretariat.

Though the PDP lawmaker denied the allegation, he was arrested on Thursday, April 28, when he showed up for guber screening at the secretariat.

Source: Legit.ng