Lawmaker representing Abia South at the Senate, Senator Eyinnaya Abaribe, was arrested on Friday by operatives of Department of State Services (DSS) for allegedly aiding and supporting the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), an organisation which has been proscribed by the Federal Government, his lawyer has said.
Abaribe’s lawyer, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume SAN, who disclosed this on Saturday also said the DSS claimed that Abaribe was into gun running.
Ume said the accusations were contained in a search warrant dated 2nd June 2018 which directed DSS operatives who searched Abaribe’s house to “focus and search for arms and ammunitions and any other incriminating document, while the alleged crime was aiding and supporting a proscribed body i.e. IPOB.”
He said that the disparity and excruciating search of all corners and every item in the house lasted for about 5pm till 11:15 pm Friday.
He noted that “Of all the 27 items seized and taken away, none could be all they wanted to see in terms of arms and ammunitions or stored bags of Ghana Must Go for sponsoring the said IPOB.
“But unfortunately two of the 27 items include: The two handsets of two USA citizens found in the home.
“One of the laptops taken included that of an educationist containing examination questions slated to be set for students on the 25th of June 2018.
“All pleas for this questions to be copied was refused.”
Ume said that they are worried at the turn of events especially when leader of IPOB Nnamdi Kanu was to appear in court on October 2017 in September, his house was brutally shut down.
“Senator Abaribe, the surety to Nnamdi Kanu is to appear in court on 26th June 2018, but on 22nd June 2018 Senator Abaribe was arrested and detained incommunicado.
Ume who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on the arrest and detention said, “Yesterday in the forenoon hours our Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, a high ranking senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was arrested by officers of state security services.
“The articulate senator who has contributed a lot to our nation building effort is of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“His arrest was shocking as it was curious.
“As his counsel, I have long ago complied with DSS stipulation for meeting with its detainee.
“I have also requested for a meeting with the D.G of the services to know the reason for his arrest.
“All fell into refusal ears at about 4:45pm I was alerted that officers of the services were heading to the senator’s residence.
“I had to break my long wait at the DSS Head Quarters and rushed to the senator’s residence.
“Primarily, the search warrant dated 2nd June 2018 focused and searched for arms and ammunitions and any other incriminating document while the alleged crime was aiding and supporting a proscribed body i.e. IPOB.
“The disparity and excruciating search of all corners and every item in the house lasted for about 5pm till 11:15 pm yesterday (Friday).
“Of all the 27 items seized and taken away non could be all they wanted to see in terms of arms and ammunitions or stored bags of Ghana Must Go for sponsoring the said IPOB.
“But unfortunately two of the 27 items include:
The two handsets of two USA citizens found in the home.
“One of the laptops taken included that of an educationist containing examination questions slated to be set for students on the 25th of June 2018.
“All pleas for this questions to be copied was refused.
“We are worried at the turn of events Nnamdi Kanu was to appear in court on October 2017 in September, his house was brutally shut down.
“Senator Abaribe, the surety to Nnamadi Kanu is to appear in court on 26th June 2018, but on 22nd June 2018 Senator Abaribe was arrested and detained incommunicado.
“On 16th June 2017 via a letter to NSA Senator Ike Ekeweremadu was levied a corrupt officer
“On 12th April 2018 Senator Shehu Sani was accused of aiding armed robbers
“On 24th march 2018 Senator Dino Melaye was accused of aiding bandits
“On 4th June 2018 Senator Bukola Saraki was accused of aiding armed robbers who massacred his own people.
“On 27th February 2017 /2nd march 2017 His Excellency former Governor of Benue State Gabrial Suswam was clamped down
“On 22nd June 2018 it is Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe was arrested for purportedly aiding a proscribed organization.
“These are certainly against the spirit of partisan politics very dear to our constitution and nation building process.
“If in 2014/2015 opposition to PDP were muzzled like this way. The advantage the nation gained by unseating a party in power would not have been possible.
“This man is a known strong voice of the Igbo nation. Hence this is a clamp down on the region”
Ume also said that Abaribe’s revelation that N30 billion was smuggled into the budget of the Power Ministry without the knowledge of the Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy may have also been part of the reason for his arrest.
Abaribe who is Chairman, South East Senate Caucus, had raised the alarm over the cut in the budget allocation to the zone.
He insisted that no right thinking Igbo would support any cut on allocation for projects in the South East region.
Abaribe confirmed that the caucus is set to meet to find out what went wrong especially at what point the cut in the allocation was made.
He said that “we are committed and determined to find out who made the cut.”
He noted that they actually lobbied for the Enugu Airport Terminal allocation to be increased to N3.5 billion until the Ministry of Aviation told them that what they had was an envelope which could not be increased beyond the N2 billion allocation.
Abaribe who is also Chairman, Senate Committee on Power, Steel Development and Metallurgy noted for instance that N30 billion was smuggled into the Power budget without his committee’s knowledge.
He said that the N30 billion was listed for expansion and re-enforcement of infrastructure in the distribution companies to reduce stranded firms.
The amount, he said, “never passed through the Senate Power committee.”
He asked “where did such huge sum of N30 billion come from.” (Independent)
