Mr. Cyriacus Njoku who just few weeks ago challenged the eligibility of President Goodluck Jonathan to contest election in 2015 has been arrested and sent to jail for alleged molestation.
In the same vein, his defence counsel, Mr. Ugochukwu Osuagwu, has fled the country with members of his family, after he alleged that there had been constant threats to his life by unknown persons.
Sources say Osuagwu had been granted asylum by the German government to ensure he’s safe from those threatening him, believed to be paid by political big wigs.
He was said to have fled Nigeria on April 3, 2013, after taking refuge at German Embassy in Abuja for some time, in order to escape from those he claimed are after his life for defending Njoku, a freelance journalist and politician who is now in jail for molestation.
Njoku, a member of the People’s Democratic Party member, who had just appealed the judgement of Justice Oniyangi of the Federal High Court that Jonathan was qualified to run in the next election, was arrested by the police on Monday and taken to Suleja Prison, where he had been held under tight security.
The police claim he was arrested for molestation, but did not give details of the offence, which was also hurriedly mentioned at the Suleja court, outside Abuja, where the offence was allegedly committed.
Sources say that no one has been allowed to reach Njoku since he was taken away by the security agents, and this has raised fears he could be harmed. In fact, many of his friends and acquaintances were unaware of the situation of things until he was able to smuggle a note out of the prison where he is being held.
Sources also reveal no one has been allowed to see Njoku; not his lawyers nor family members, with the prison authorities claiming that they were under instructions not to allow anybody to see Mr. Njoku.
The detainee had maintained that even if President Jonathan won the election of 2015, he would have been constitutionally barred from taking another oath of office.
However, when the judge dismissed the case, he went on an appeal, which was yet to be heard before his arrest and detention by the security agents.
A constitutional lawyer considered Mr. Njoku’s appeal was considered dicey because the Supreme Court had in a previous decision (General Marwa vs. Murtala Nyako) concerning the tenure of some state governors, held that a governor could not take oath of office more than twice by virtue of Sections 135 and 137 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, while reacting to the matter, described it as a provocative action aimed at muzzling Nigerians.
The party’s spokesman, Rotimi Fashakin, said Nigerians should rise against the renewed wave of onslaught by dictators against voices of dissent in the country.
