50 — SATURDAY Vanguard, DECEMBER 14, 2013
HURIWA gives Gov Chime 21 days to apologise for allegedly mistreating his wife BY IKECHUKWU NNOCHIRI, Abuja
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HE Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has given Governor Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, 21 days, to apologize to his estranged wife, Clara, or face a legal action. Addressing newsmen in Abuja in commemoration of the 2013 World Human Rights Day, the group further implored the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, to promptly release the final report of its investigation into the petition that was filed before it by Governor Chime’s wife, even as it condemned the preliminary report that suggested that the woman was mentally deranged. Speaking through its National Coordinator, Mr Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA decried that Enugu State, is among the few states yet to domesticate many of the pro-women and pro-children legislations like the Child’s Rights Act of 2003, “In fact, Enugu is one of the 12 States of the federation and the only state in Southern Nigeria yet to domesticate the Child’s Rights Act,” it added. He said: “Recall that HURIWA commended Chief Femi Falana, SAN, for accepting the challenge to seek redress for the detained Clara Chime and also recall that the National Human Rights Commission, at the instance of a petition filed in that regard by Chief Falana, stepped into the matter and commenced investigation into the allegation of illegal detention of a Nigerian citizen inside a Government House built with tax payers’ money, but turned into an illegal detention facility allegedly by the Governor of Enugu State. “Unfortunately, the said ‘PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE’, happens to be no other person but the second legally married wife of the same Governor who is being alleged as the human right violator in this case. “Recall also that the Governor had interpretatively admitted aspects of the said allegation, but on the flimsy and unsustainable excuse that his wife had medical challenges. It is a most hollow and pointless excuse, which has been widely condemned by the human rights community and men and women of
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good conscience since Enugu State Government House is not a medical facility. “Gentlemen, recall also that while the National Human Rights Commission began the said independent investigation, reports emerged that the Enugu State Governor allegedly bundled his wife out of her alleged detention facility and sent her packing to God knows where. At the last count, we read in some media accounts that the helpless woman had moved in with her sister somewhere in the Southern part of Nigeria even as a suspected sponsored blackmail soft sale story circulated the unsubstantiated story that Mrs. Chime checked into a mental home in the United Kingdom. “We want to unequivocally register our displeasure over the foot-dragging of the National Human Rights Commission on this matter. We are appalled that several weeks after this sad, shameful and embarrassing development became public knowledge, and months after the same story spread as hot cake in the grapes vine, the Commission has failed so far to exhibit the desired level of urgency, transparency, and accountability on this matter. “The Commission is yet to come clean and tell Nigerians its findings in black and white, backed up by empirical medical data and forensic evidence regarding the claims that Mrs. Clara Chime indeed underwent gruelling, sordid, senseless and insensitive maltreatment as well as flagrant breaches of her constitutionally protected human rights, including the fundamental human rights to association, movement, and freedom of speech whilst she was allegedly kept under locks and keys on the orders of the Governor prior to the intervention of God fearing individuals including the reputable legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria. “Whilst being mindful of the fact that we need not unduly intervene in anyone’s private affair, but whenever there are public allegations of human rights violations that remain uninvestigated or shabbily investigated, our consciences oblige us to vigorously campaign and draw the national and international attention of civilized people and to campaign for immediate
redress of these violations, irrespective of the social status of the offender and the victim. Furthermore, as we mark the World Human Rights Day, gentlemen, we regret to inform you that our findings show that Enugu is notorious for disrespecting the fundamental human rights of women and children.” Consequently, the group, in its nine-points demand, asked the NHRC, to immediately inform Nigerians in black and white of its findings regarding the allegations of “arbitrary and inhumane arrest and illegal detention of the wife of the Enugu State Governor allegedly by her now estranged husband who is said to have also separated from his first wife in alleged rancorous and indecorous manners. “We demand that the NHRC should also publicly seek evidence from people in the know regarding the allegation that Mrs. Chime prior to her latest ‘sack’ from her alleged matrimonial ‘detention’ facility was
From left: Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar shortly before the departure of the former Vice President to South Africa for the burial of Nelson Mandela at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport , Abuja yesterday.
indeed allegedly maltreated and denied her fundamental rights to freedom of association and movement. Human rights are sacrosanct, inviolable, inalienable and importantly universal and their breaches must be investigated promptly, impartially, and independently and the outcome transparently rendered through publicly accountable process.
“State unequivocally that we will mobilize the human rights community and men and women of good conscience to a mother of all protests should there be the slightest conjectures or halfbaked, concocted, and manufactured stories to favour Governor Sullivan Chime in this matter. We will also head to the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Office of
the Un-Rapporteur in charge of United Nations Women Commission to demand redress. “Demand unreserved public apology, in the meantime, from Governor Sullivan Chime within one week from today for these series of alleged violations of the rights of his wife and the womenfolk in a democratic society.”
Body of kidnapped wife of Enugu royal father found in shallow grave BY TONY EDIKE Enugu
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HE decomposed body of 84 year-old Madam Adiza Ogbo, wife the traditional ruler of AbbaIgogoro community, Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State, who was abducted by unknown gunmen since September 14, this year, has been recovered from a shallow grave by operatives of the state police command. Late Adiza, the mother of the former Commissioner for Chieftaincy Affairs in Enugu State, Chief Goddy Ogbo, was kidnapped, four days after some armed men invaded the palace and inflicted machete cuts on her husband, Omale before shooting at three other persons in his palace at 8pm. The traditional ruler was said to be having a meeting with some people in his Igogoro palace when the gunmen struck. Igwe Ogbo was said to have been reportedly given three machete cuts on his head. The aged woman was said to have died in the hands of her abductors a week after she was taken
from her home at gunpoint to an unknown destination. Leader of the kidnap gang now in police net, one Paschal Onah alias Achisa who was arrested along with a native doctor and seven members of his gang, confessed that the woman died in their hands and was buried in a grave which he dug in his compound for kidnap victims. The police said that the woman’s decomposed body was recovered from the said grave following a confessional statement by the suspects who were rounded up by men of the state police command. The State Police spokesman, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects and the recovery of Mrs. Ogbo’s corpse yesterday, likened the incident to the popular saying that “every day is for a thief but one day is for the owner of the house.” He said that the “dare devil kidnappers with their native doctor that prepares charm for them in order not to be caught and for them to be succeeding in their evil perpetrations and possibly
be escaping when security operatives strikes are now in custody.” According to him, the operatives of the Anti Kidnapping Unit arrested the nine notorious kidnappers and the native doctor in the course of investigation into the kidnap of the royal father’s wife. “Following the kidnap of the woman who is believed to be about 84 years, Commissioner of Police Enugu state command, Adamu Abubakar Mohammed directed a full scale investigations which has hitherto led to the arrest of nine suspects namely Paschal Onah alias Achisa, Uche Ugwu, Chinwendu Adonu, Chikodi Idoko, Martin Okpe a native doctor, Mamman Okechukwu, Ofobuike Okpe, Christain Onah and Friday Eze. “They were arrested after a severe gun duel with the operatives recently when they were tracked to their hideouts with some of them sustaining injuries,” he said. Amaraizu said that the leader of the gang, Paschal Onah, had revealed how he and his gang members carried out the kidnap of the late
Madam Ogbo and how she was eventually buried by him and the gang members in his compound where they have kept her awaiting for the payment of N10million ransom. He said that Onah claimed that a week later the madam died and they decided to bury her in a shallow grave inside his compound which he had turned to a dumping ground for kidnap victims. Onah further revealed that he also collected N300,000 from the family of the victim after she had died but unknown to her relations that the woman had died and was going to regain her freedom after the payment. He further disclosed that his gang used to work hand in hand with the native doctor, who normally prepare charm for the gang and that they compensate him with a ram and N30,000 or N50,000 respectively depending on the ransom obtained from the victim’s relations. Onah, however, regretted his action and advised people “to stay out of crime and criminality as one’s sin is bound to find him out one day.”