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APOLOGISE TO ‘VERY DARK MAN’, ‘C-PARK’ OVER MANNER OF ARREST — EX-PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANT, THOMAS-WILSON IKUBESE TO EFCC
…Calls for arraignment on Monday or free them immediately
A former presidential aspirant in Nigeria, Dr. Thomas Wilson-Ikubese has called on the Federal Ministry of Justice and specifically the Attorney- General and Minister of Justice to direct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to arraign Mr. Martins Vincent Otse and his friend, Mr. Stephen Avuara also known as C-Park on Monday or release them immediately.
The Akure-based medical practitioner also called for letters of apology on the manner with which they were “abducted”.
This was contained in a statement made public by the “Yes Wefit” group Initiator and posted on his social media handle on Sunday May 4th, 2025.
In his words, “on Friday, 2nd May 2025, Mr Martins Vincent Otse was said to have been abducted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) shortly after exiting the premises of Guaranty Trust Bank and whisked away in a commando style, with his friend identified as Mr Steven Avuara, aka “C-Park”.
“According to the account of C-Park who was oater released, both of them were said to have been bundled into a vehicle, physically assaulted by these operatives and driven to an unknown destination which turned out to be the Abuja head office of the EFCC with their faces covered with hood”.
“While we await the EFCC to come out with an official statement regarding the allegations against him for which he was taken into custody, I consider it expedient to register my utmost disapproval pertaining the manner of his adoption, as this cannot be termed an arrest”.
“By the provisions of the EFCC Act, it has the power to investigate and prosecute all economic and financial crimes. If the EFCC has documents incriminating VDM of economic and or financial crimes therefore, he should be invited formally for questioning and arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction. Wherein he fails to honour such invitations, he can then be arrested and brought before the court to answer to the charges”.
“Even if the EFCC eventually claims to have a warrant of arrest against VDM, this embarrassing, demeaning, commando format is not the manner such a warrant should be executed, when the subject of the warrant has neither been duly served, nor shown resistance to arrest”.
“More disturbing is the fact that 48 hours has passed by after the adoption and the EFCC has not issued an official statement concerning the matter”.
“I call on the Federal Ministry of Justice, specifically the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to direct the EFCC to publish a written letter of apology to VDM and his friend C-park, over the manner of their abduction and arraign VDM before the court tomorrow Monday 5th May 2025 or free him immediately”.
“I call on all men and women of conscience, the civil society, human rights activists, clergies and the international community to rise against this demeaning, commando manner of citizen adoption by government security agencies, for evil fetters when people of goodwill are silent. Today, it is VDM, tomorrow it could be anyone”, Thomas-Wilson Ikubese added.
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