The President of the Youth Wing of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) Worldwide, Comrade Efemena Umukoro, has publicly challenged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and several senators to seek legal redress if they believe they have been defamed by human rights activist, Oliver Ofejiro.

Umukoro issued the challenge during a peaceful protest at the Delta State Government House in Asaba, warning that if the governor and others ignore his call, his group will “increase the gear” of their demonstrations.

Flanked by a small group of supporters, Umukoro condemned the continued police detention of the investigative journalist as an “abuse of power.”

“We are in a democratic society where we have freedom of liberty [and] freedom of expression,” he stated.

He highlighted police procedures, noting, “You have 24-48 hours to charge a suspect to court. There is even a new directive from the Inspector-General of Police to investigate a person before arresting and then arraigning them.”

Drawing a comparison, Umukoro said, “For instance, Mr. President [of Nigeria] has been called all sorts of names, but he has never arrested a critic because he understands the dynamics of governance. He knows that critics are there to provide checks and balances.”

“Without critics, the government will be too relaxed. While we clamour for constructive criticism, if Governor Oborevwori, Senator Ede Dafinone, and Senator Joel Onowakpo believe Oliver Ofejiro has crossed the line, the best approach is not to keep him in a cell.

“They should give him the privilege to have his say in court. We are not in a banana republic,” he declared.

Umukoro explained that the protest was to register their displeasure and signal that “enough is enough.” He also apologised to fellow activists in Asaba for not involving them, stating he wanted to ensure the demonstration remained a lawful, peaceful protest and not be perceived as an attack on the Government House.

He warned that If “government agencies” who have reached out to him fail to act by next week, they will be forced to “increase the gear” of their protests, promising to give the “full press” advance notice.

Furthermore, Umukoro revealed he plans to file a case for a breach of fundamental rights, not against the entire Delta State Police Command, but specifically against the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of Ofejiro’s case.

He accused the IPO ’f having “suddenly become a co-petitioner instead of being an umpire” by screenshotting material from Ofejiro’s Facebook page that was not part of the original petition.

“He has made himself a party to this case. You cannot be a party to a case you are investigating,” Umukoro argued.

He also issued a final warning to the Delta State Police Command, revealing that protest letters have been submitted to the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.

“They should be careful with the way they go about this issue. They should go to court and let the young man have his time in court, and not continue to use their power to support oppression and intimidation in a democratic society,” he concluded. (Nigerian Tribune)