Fejiro Oliver
Journalist and Activist, Mr. Ortega Oghenedoro popularly known by his pen name Fejiro Oliver is currently being detained at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos State over eccentric and legally unsustainable allegations bothering on alleged "treat to life" and "defamation of character".
He was arrested at about 8:45 PM on
Thursday 16th March, 2017 by four plain-clothed policemen in Uyo and
taken to the Benin Airport before he was flown to Lagos State the
following day.
I can now confirm that the immediate past Governor
of Delta State, Mr. Emmanuel Uduaghan is not involved in the arrest and
detention of the journalist as earlier thought.
Mr. Uduaghan was
wrongly associated with the matter because of the modus operandi adopted
by the Police in effecting the arrest, which also coincided with the
recent anti-Uduaghan protest in Delta State organised by Fejiro.
After my interaction with Fejiro at the FCID, Alagbon on Saturday 18th
March, 2017, the facts of the matter based on information available at
the moment are as follows:
1. Three Management Staff of Sterling
Bank Plc, namely: Yemi Adeola (Managing Director); Yemi Odubiyi
(Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer) and Nduka Mba-Uzoukwu (Head
Customer Experience Management Group) jointly wrote a petition to the
Inspector General of Police against a former staff of their bank and
whistle blower, one Mr. Dennis wherein they alleged "threats" to their
lives and "defamation".
2. The whistle blower is said to have
uncovered and exposed fraudulent activities allegedly perpetuated in the
bank by the trio with documents to buttress the commission of the
alleged fraud.
3. Angered and embarrassed by the exposure against
them which was published by Secrets Reporters, the three named
Management Staff orchestrated the sack of the whistle blower from
Sterling Bank Plc and proceeded to petition the Inspector General of
Police.
4. The petition to the IG was not against Fejiro. The
Police arrested and detained him because the exposure by the whistle
blower was published in part on his online media platform, Secrets
Reporters. The Police ostensibly arrested him in proxy for him to
produce his source.
The whistle blower has expressed his readiness to
meet with the police and defend his claims of fraud against Messrs.
Adeola, Odubiyi and Mba-Uzoukwu with relevant documents.
It is
very disheartening that a journalist is being detained illegally for
doing his work at the behest of the Management Staff of Sterling Bank
Plc who should have approached the court to seek redress if they truly
believed that they were defamed in any way. The illegal deployment of
the Police to harass and intimidate Fejiro is unacceptable. We shall
consider available legal options to remedy the breach of his fundamental
human rights.
Fejiro is fine and high in spirit and is grateful
to Nigerians who have spoken out against his arrest and detention.
Meanwhile, efforts are on to secure his release from police custody. We
call on the Nigeria Police Force to act in accordance with the Rule of
Law.
Signed:
Inibehe Effiong, Esq.
(Lawyer to Ortega Ogenedoro alias Fejiro Oliver.)
(Lawyer to Ortega Ogenedoro alias Fejiro Oliver.)
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