A popular rights activist, Okechukwu Nwanguma, has cried out over the arrest of his younger brother, David Nwanguma, lamenting his detention in an undisclosed facility.

“David Nwanguma was arrested by some police officers as he stepped out of his residence No.12 BABALOLA ST AKOWONJO EGBEDA LAGOS on October 1, 2020,” Okechukwu, who is Executive Director of Rule of Law And Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), said Friday in a WhatsApp narrative. “The officers brought him back to his residence, broke into his house, removed some items and took him away without informing his wife where they came from and reason for the arrest and break in without warrant and where they were taking him to.

“His phone remained switched off until this morning when he called his wife and told her he is detained at ‘Ebute Metta Police Station’. There are many police stations within Ebute Metta and his wife is not sure the particular police station. His phone has remained switched off.

“I checked at Afonka Police Station nearest to his residence at Akowonjo and there is no record that the police officers who carried out the arrest arrived there to notify of their mission. There is no way to ascertain David’s whereabouts.”

Okechukwu Nwanguma described the conduct of the policemen as “unprofessional”, adding: “It can better be described as abduction than arrest.”

Continuing, he said: “The conduct of the police officers run contrary to the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, Lagos State and the new Police Act both of which require that a person being arrested must be informed at the point of arrest, his or her offence or reason for his/her arrest; he must be informed of his procedural rights, including right to a legal practitioner of his choice, right to remain silent until he sees his lawyer etc. The laws also mandate the arresting police officer to call and inform family members of the arrested person of their member’s arrest and whereabouts.”

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