Juliana Francis
The Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC) has called for the immediate release of a Lagos-based online blogger, Precious Eze, who was whisked away five days ago by strange men identifying themselves as “Special Police Taskforce from Abuja.”
The Executive Director of RULAAC, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said that his organisation received information about what appeared like the abduction of “Precious Eze, an Online Publisher and Journalist by individuals who stormed his Lagos residence on Tuesday, December 12th, 2023 at about 1:24 am and simply identified themselves as ‘members of a Special Police Taskforce from Abuja.’”
Nwanguma said that during the operation, the ‘task force’ operatives confiscated Precious’ laptops, phones, and other devices from his residence.
The activist narrated: “A friend of his who was with him and witnessed as he was being taken away offered to accompany them, but the operatives declined, and ‘assured him that Precious would contact him in the morning to provide information about his whereabouts’.
“Five days later, nothing has been heard from Precious or anyone else about his whereabouts, or the reason for his being taken away.
“All attempts by his family and colleagues to reach him or unravel his whereabouts and ascertain the reason for his being taken away, have all been abortive.
“His family and colleagues are seriously concerned about his safety. According to one of his relatives ‘ our concerns are heightened as Precious is known to be hypertensive and is on medication. There is uncertainty about his well-being’ wherever he may be held, incommunicado.”
Nwanguma noted that it was unclear whether those who took him were security or law enforcement officials. “But if they are, it goes against the grains of professional law enforcement standards and due process to seize and take a person away in such a crude manner, without proper identification, and without informing the person and his relatives about the reason for arrest and where the person was being taken to.”
He added that a person arrested for any recognizable offence was entitled to due process safeguards including being accorded the right of access to family and legal representation.
He cited that in the case of the Police, the Police Act (2020) mandates the Inspector-General of Police to facilitate access to legal support to all persons at police stations.
Nwanguma also noted that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015) requires that a person who is arrested must be informed of his offence at the point of arrest and must be allowed access to family members and legal representation. “Family members of arrested persons should also be informed about the arrest of their member.”
He added: “Precious is known to be a Blogger. Bloggers and other media practitioners continue to face harassment in the hands of security agencies often acting at the behest of politicians or influential individuals. Attacks on journalists and media freedom must be brought to an end and journalists allowed to discharge their constitutional mandate.
“Law enforcement and security agents should not act like kidnappers or act in other lawless ways that undermine the rule of law. RULAAC calls on whichever agency may have seized and continues to hold Precious hostage, incommunicado, to release him forthwith. If they have any credible cause to arrest him, disclose same and follow legally established procedures for the treatment of suspects of crime.”
