The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Right has raised the alarm over the continued detention of three of it’s members at the Kuduru police station, in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja and demanded for their immediate release.
Secretary of the SNWR, Lateef Adams, who gave their names as Daniel Babatunde Akande (Publicity Secretary)B, ilal Dakiyak Abdullahi and Abdullahi Mohammed, said they have been held since Friday June 14, 2024 by the police at Kurudu police station over a matter which has its genesis as a landlady/tenancy dispute.
He said the trio were arrested over a claim by the police that Daniel Akande’s landlady Alimot Abdulazeez alleged that she was threatened by her tenant.
“The landlady had instituted a law suit against Daniel Akande over increase in rent which was determined on May 26, 2024 in favour of Daniel Akande by the court, ” he said, adding that”the landlady subsequently took thugs to the property located at the Jikoyi Extension to harass Daniel and his friends.
“This incident was reported at the Jikoyi police station. Unfortunately, the police did not treat this matter but instead arrested the three of them and a female friend of theirs with the claim that the landlady who they had not questioned for assault had alleged that she was being threatened.”
He said that all efforts to secure the release of the detained proved abortive as the IPO in charge of the case, Dogo Labari promised to effect their release once a surety for them become available.
He had initially claimed he was having issues moving to another police station at Kurudu where the arrested were taken to from the Jikoyi police station where they were arrested when they reported following police invitation.
The efforts to reach the station’s DCO, Supol Stephen Yohanna on his phone proved abortive as he did not pick his calls. It was said that the three are being held at his instruction.
Beyond the disagreement over tenancy rate, it is claimed that a female police officer who had tried to wrestle a phone from one of the people held based on suspicion that the person might be recording conversation between them had surprisingly alleged she was assaulted in the police station by the three.
As of now, the three are being held and the police officer, now alleged to be the new complainant has not shown up at the station in spite of the lawyer to the three being there since about 9:00am on Saturday, June 15, 2024.
The SNWR called for their immediate release by the police authority and for workers, right campaigners, to share, and particularly send letters of appeal for their immediate release to the Commissioner of Police and the IPOs, Stephen Yohanna DCO, Supol and Dogo Labari.
