The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Abuja and Northern Nigeria Chapter, has demanded the unconditional release of Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya, the whistleblower who was arrested by the police officials from the National Cybercrime Center.
However, IYC Abuja/Northern Nigeria chapter in a statement signed by its Information Officer, Comrade Olali Frank lamented that after 48 hours, he has neither been charged to court nor has the Nigeria Police Force granted access to his legal team to see him.
IYC stated that Ijaws had suffered too much oppression in the hands of state actors, noting that it would not be business as usual if anything happened to Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya
According to the statement, the group further demanded that the Nigeria Police Force investigate and prosecute its members of the anti-kidnapping unit for their unprofessional conduct.
The statement reads in part; "On Monday 5th of August 2024, at about 1:12pm, men of the Nigeria Police Force arrived at Osmosis Hotel, in Port Harcourt, in a gestapo style and broke into the hotel room of Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya, handcuffed and took him away to an undisclosed location.
"Family members didn’t know of the incident until the following day. When they heard about the arrest, the family immediately went in search of him to all police formations in Rivers State. Upon communicating to the Police Communication Radio Room, from where the anti-kidnapping unit was called to inquire of his arrest, they vehemently denied.
"While the search was on, the Ijaw Youth Council, Abuja chapter was informed about his disappearance. The Chairman quickly delegated some members to visit the FCID to inquire if he was brought there. The police at FCID also denied holding any suspect that goes with the name Isaac Bristol.
"Eventually, we were informed by members of the family that they got reliable information that he is being held at the anti-kidnapping unit at Mini-Okoro Police station, at Old Aba road, in Port harcourt. Even at that, the Police denied he was there.
"Comrade Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya was taken from the anti-kidnapping unit on August 10th 2024, to the National Cyber Crime Center (NCCC) in Abuja through a United Nigeria Airline, at about 6:00pm.
"It should be noted that without trial nor condemned Isaac was placed on handcuffs, tortured and denied food for the first six days he was detained at the Mini-Okoro anti-kidnapping unit in Port Harcourt.
"Officers of the anti-kidnapping unit in their usual manner subjected Isaac to physical and psychological assault, defamation, libel and all manner of inhuman treatment.
"At the airport in Port Harcourt, the Nigeria Police men falsely notified the passengers of the fully loaded aircraft, that Isaac was a notorious kidnapper/armed robber. The same act they put up at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, with the handcuffs clipped to his wrists.
"Dramatically, the man the Nigeria Police initially convicted without trial as a notorious kidnapper/armed robber, had suddenly changed to Unlawful possession, leakage of classified documents and cyber related offenses.
"As a council we believe the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria presume every citizen innocent, until proven guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction. But in the case of Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya, he was proven guilty by the Nigeria Police Force even before trial by a competent court of jurisdiction.
"From findings, the Nigeria Police anti-kidnapping unit in connivance with the Manager of Osmosis hotel, took away the personal diary of Mr. Isaac containing the reference phrase, email, password and login details to his cryptocurrency account containing thousands of United States Dollars.
"It is laughable that the Nigeria Police Force has accused Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya as the owner of the X account with username PIDOMNIGERIA, which they alleged had been used to defame and leaked government’s classified documents. If truly Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya was the user of the said X account, how come the account is still very much active, with someone tweeting via the account, despite the fact that the alleged user was arrested and detained on the 5th of August 2024?
"It is pertinent to know that on the 15th of August, ten days after Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya was whisked away from his hotel room by the Nigeria Police, the account with the username PIDONNIGERIA put up a tweet. Is it that after arresting and detaining Mr. Isaac, the Police allowed him to continue with the act of leaking classified government documents? A question begging for answers.
"We are disappointed at the Nigeria Police Force for the unprofessional act displayed in arresting Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya.
"The Ijaw Youth Council Abuja and Northern Nigeria Chapter demand as the unconditional release of the Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya. Since after forty eight hours, he has neither been charged to court nor has the Nigeria Police Force granted him access to his legal team to see him.
"The Ijaws have suffered too much oppression in the hands of State actors. It won’t be business as usual if anything happens to Mr. Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Arigbariya.
"We further demand that the Nigeria Police Force investigate and prosecute those members of the anti-kidnapping unit for their show of unprofessional conduct, mostly in the aspect of thievery."
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