* I’m not aware of court ruling, videographer offence a bailable one – Delta CP
By Cletus Opukeme, Warri
One of the suspects arrested by the Nigerian police Mr. Onoriode Oyiborhoro, a videographer who uploaded the graphic scene of the burning police van by angry mob who were angered by gory death of mother and her little daughter by suspected policemen from Ebrumede Police station who were allegedly accused of the death in a hot chase of suspected internet fraudsters, popular called yahoo-yahoo in Effurun, Warri,Delta.
The offence of the videographer,Mr. Onoriode ,according to the police authority, he uploaded a false video of the accident which angered mob to set a police van from Ebrumede Police station ablaze, following the allegation that the police were responsible of the accident and the death of mother and daughter.
The counsel to the applicant, Barr. Demebide Arekedoumene had accused the Delta police command of disobeying court ruling to grant bail on the videographer.
But in a swift reaction, the Delta state commissioner of police, Mr. Ari Ali denied he had not been served or received any court order in respect of the young videographer who was arrested by the police. He said he has no power to disobey any court ruling and said, this particular case of videographer is a bailable offence.
Monday, the counsel to the applicant, Barr. Demebide Arekedoumene aka (Pele) in a heavily worded petition ,addressed to the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Abubarka and copied the national Human Rights Commission, Abuja, National Assembly, Anthony General of the federation, Minister of Justice and other civil rights organizations calling on them to prevail on the Delta state police command to respect and honour court rulings.
He said his client was arrested by the Nigerian Police on the 29th January, 2021, and he has being in incarceration till date. ” I made a formal application of the bail of my client in the high court of justice, Delta of Nigeria in the Warri judicial division holden at Warrior before his lordship Hon. Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi, the trial judge on 2nd February, 2021 upon Motion Exparte for hearing, the 1st & and 2nd ( Police commissioner Delta state Mr. Ari Ali and CSP, TY Mahmud, Divisional Police officer, Ebrumede, Effurun,Delta state) both respondents did not appear in court.
” The Exparte motion was also stated on the 18th February, 2021 same day, by Hon. Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi. The motion exparte seeking bail was granted by His Lordship, Hon. Justice Anthony Olotu Akpovi. Whereas, the motion on the notice was adjourned to 15th day of March, 2021.
” The enrollment of court order was served to the Police commissioner Delta state on the 19th, February, 2021. Yet, the Delta state police command has refused to honour the court order.
” I humbly call on Inspector General of Police, Adamu Abubarka, the national human rights commission, Abuja, National Assembly, Anthony General of the federation, Minister of Justice and other civil rights organization, calling on the Delta state police command to respect and honour court rulings” He said in his petition.
Meanwhile, Tuesday morning precisely 10;00am Daily Watch called the Delta police commissioner, Mr. Ari Ali to confirm his own side of the story. The police said he is not aware aware with any court ruling. He said he has no authority to dishonour a legitimate court order. He assured our correspondent he would call the officers in charge of the matter and if true there is a court order, he would expedite action action to release the suspect.
He said otherwise, the officers on the matter prove to him beyond reasonable order not bail the suspect, the he would ask them to arraign the suspect for trial. He noted that the issue of videography or photography is a bailable offence.
Daily Watch asked, what is the actual offence of the videographer who is being in detention close to a month.
CP Ali said, ” You are a journalist, the videographer sent a false information to the public through his social media handle, disparaging the police as a very wicked and bad institution on an accident that involved in a keke and another truck. He misinformed the public that the police was chased some suspected yahoo yahoo in a keke when the police van collided with the keke and killed a woman and her little daughter. That uploaded video angered mob to set Nigerian police van ablaze” he told Daily Watch.
Daily Watch insisted, “sir the time of the accident and the setting ablaze of your van happened within 10 or 15 minutes by angry mob who witnessed the accident and that it was not the uploaded video that led mob to set fire on the police van, do you think the Nigerian police has a good reason to hold the videographer responsible on your burnt police van?”
The CP was mute for some seconds and said ” I don’t have answer for that your question. But all I know is that these social media practitioners have caused great damage to this country, especially the that was similar kinds of videos that brought about the #ENDSARS protest he said.
The videographer Mr. Onoriode Oyiborhoro, the man who filmed the incident of the police van that was set ablaze over the death of a woman and her daughter by angry mob was arrested and has been in police cell close to a month.
Unconfirmed report had it that the Nigerian police Tuesday (today) hurriedly making a frantic effort to arraign the suspect as at the time of filing this report .
