IG Wala has been arrested by the police since yesterday. He was held at FIB
(FCIID), abuja. Why was he arrested? He was arrested based on a spurious and
baseless petition writen by the chairman of hajj commission, muktar abdullahi on
the same baseless matter already taken to court by the same hajj commission
chairman. It is important to note that, while the chairman of hajj commission took
wala to court on alleged defamation, when the matter came up for hearing in
december, wala was properly represented, but there was no sign of hajj
commision, the chairman abdullahi muktar or their lawyer. They were all absent.
So, how can hajj commission chairman sue wala and refused to appear or
represented in court, only to write a baseless petition and request for wala's
arrest by police. This is not only an abuse, but a calculated attempt to silene
wala for speaking out against endemic corruption at the hajj commission.
surprisingly, I G of police allowed himself to be used in process of violating the
law by hajj commission chairman and intimidating an anti corruption activist.
After spending the night at police detention, wala has been taken to maitama
court on 4th floor today, not for any hearing, but to be taken to prison. This is
high level intimidation by hajj commission chairman, illegal arrest by police and
comspiracy.
Citizens Action To Take Back Nigeria (CATBAN) call on all activists, human right
advocates and media to join our call to the appropriate authorities to release IG
Wala with immidiate effect.
Let it be known that all attempt to silence CATBAN from exposing corruption at
Hajj Commission has failed and this latest effort by the most corrupt hajj
commission chairman will suffer the same faith.
# FreeIGWala
Abdulrazaq O Hamzat
Co-Convener
Citizens Action To Take Back Nigeria