TRENDING IN NIGERIA: Acquitted Suspects Claim Coercion to Implicate Fubara’s CoS in Assembly Fire Incident Four acquitted suspects in the Rivers State House of Assembly fire case reveal shocking allegations of coercion & bribery. Chime Ezebalike, Kenneth Kpasa, Oladele Lukman, and MacPherson Olumini claim they were pressured to implicate Chief of Staff Edison Ehie. "We were detained for six months, subjected to torture, and denied legal access," says Ezebalike. "We were coerced into signing false confessions and offered ₦200m bribes and overseas relocation for our cooperation." See also:In Nigeria: Business Icon Pascal Dozie Passes Away at 85, Leaving Lasting Legacy.
A prominent PDP leader recently contacted them to revise their narrative, asking them to falsely name Ehie as the mastermind of the Assembly fire. This request is linked to a wider political scheme. "We were framed for the Assembly fire, murder of DPO Bako Angbashim, and an alleged assassination attempt on Speaker Martins Amaewhule," reveals Kpasa. "We narrate harrowing experiences in detention."
One suspect revealed a serving Assembly member pressured them to implicate Ehie, resorting to beatings and starvation when refused. Inducements were offered again in Abuja. "After six months, charges were dropped, and we were acquitted," says Lukman. "Now, we're speaking out against our ordeal and the manipulation of state institutions for political gain." The suspects call on civil society, media, and justice-loving Nigerians to resist the weaponization of state institutions against innocent citizens. They accused a former Local Government Chairman of offering a ₦200m bribe and overseas relocation for their cooperation.
Comments
Post a Comment