By TINA TIMOTHY

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has said that the group has no petition pending before EFCC against a former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party Presidential Aspirant, Peter Obi.

Intersociety disclosed this is a press statement it issued in Onitsha on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, signed by its Principal Officers Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chinwe Umeche Esquire and Chidimma Udegbunam Esquire.

It explained that the statement has become necessary following a re-emergence of malicious publications’ ‘aimed at misrepresentation of facts which portray certain respected persons in a bad light and ‘linking Intersociety with such publications.’

The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law has been drawn to resurgence of frivolous publications and out-of-date others on social media aimed at misrepresentation of facts and politicization of same so as to portray certain respected persons in a bad light.

“The most unfortunate and annoying of it all was linking intersociety with such publications in bad faith, especially by making them to look newly issued. Another worrying part of it was clear misrepresentation of facts in connection with some happenings in the past targeted at demonization of certain respected persons.

“The malicious publications, circumstantially speaking, strongly bear the trademarks of integrity challenged Igbo politicians working for their selfish aggrandizement or for integrity challenged political gladiators from outside the Southeast Region who pioneer the hateful and discriminatory policy of “born-to-rule” and “born-to-be-ruled.”

“Pieces of intelligence within our reach are pointing in the direction of two political camps as the oilers of the resurged attacks and publications: Some serving and former Governors of the Southeast, especially those that woefully lost their parties’ recent presidential primaries; and malevolent political actors outside the Southeast and their appendages within this region working for its destabilization in return for reception of ‘pittances of the graveyard.’ They have also recruited some self-acclaimed splinter agitators and internet warriors to do their biddings at the overall expense of the people of the Southeast and their dignity and honor.

“It must be clarified that in 2009, during the first tenure of Peter Obi as Anambra Governor, he was accused of moving N250m to be laundered and Intersociety took the matter up and petitioned the EFCC and the Inspector General of Police; urging the duo to forensically investigate Obi and recommend appropriately if he was found involved.

“Intersociety also launched its own investigation and in the end, it was discovered that it was a setup oiled by his political opponents who secretly placed some of his clerical aides under secret monthly pay so as to monitor and wire every movement made by the Governor for malicious reasons.

“It was also found out that the N250m was meant for physical cash purchase of dozens of fairly used vehicles for some top Government appointees that operated for years without official cars. The vehicles were for ‘pay-on-delivery’ at Lagos. The EFCC and the Nigeria Police Force authorities, after their respective investigations found the Governor not involved in ‘money laundry’ and the vehicles were later purchased, delivered and deployed.

“Since then, hired or paid agents have formed the habit of resurrecting the online version of the petition, especially prior to or during important electioneering. These, they do with intent to misinform and mislead the public and denigrate the person and character of the respected former Anambra Governor (Peter Obi).

“They did it in 2010 during the first staggered Governorship Election in Anambra State and repeated same in 2013 during Obiano’s first election; 2015 during presidential election; 2017 during Obiano’s second election against Oselloka Obaze and others; 2019 during Buhari’s second election against Atiku/Obi and others; and it is being repeated following the conclusion of the Presidential Primaries and nearness of the all-important 2023 Presidential Poll.”

“In a similar vein, the group has said that ‘linking Obi to Ezu River Police SARS killings is stigmatization and false labeling’ since forensic investigations revealed that ‘the killings were solely perpetrated by Police SARS under retired CSP James Nwafor and then CP Bala.’

“The statement further reads: “It must be placed on irrefutable record that Intersociety (and Anambra CLO, to an extent) was the only human rights group that forensically investigated the Ezu River Police SARS killings and followed up and defended same up to the office of the then DIG, Force Criminal Investigations, now retired DIG Peter Gana in April 2013. As captioned above, the killings were solely perpetrated by Police SARS under retired CSP James Nwafor and then CP Bala. The victims were detainees arrested and detained at Awkuzu, Nneni and Nnewi SARS detention facilities and among the slain victims were nine members of MASSOB and others numbering about thirty, accused of perpetrating violent crimes. About fifteen of the slain detainees were bundled from Nnewi SARS dungeon while others including nine MASSOB members were from Awkuzu and Nneni SARS detention facilities. It must also be pointed out that the Ezu River Police SARS killings were just one of such secret Police SARS killings that took place between 2012 and 2013. The secret Police SARS killings and other unlawful killings by Police had continued from then till date.

“That is to say that those secret killings by Police SARS were not only those of the Ezu River discovered because of the unhidden location of the crime scene, but also included others dumped at Omambala River and Awada and Onitsha cemeteries as well as Abba Forests by Onitsha-Awka Expressway, etc.

“Just like in the case of the N250m falsely labeled ‘laundered money or Obi’s stolen millions,’ the politically hired or paid agents have also formed the habit of resurrecting on social media, the Ezu River Police SARS killings following the nearness of 2023 Presidential Poll. This, they did in 2013 and repeated in 2015, 2017 and 2019 and it is being repeated following the conclusion of the Presidential Primaries and nearness of the all-important 2023 Presidential Poll.”

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