I was framed up by the police, says Ugolor

EXECUTIVE Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor said he was framed up by the Police over the murder of the Principal Private Secretary to Edo State governor, Olaitan Oyerinde.Ugolor, who was arrested on July 27, 2012 and was only released on September 11, 2012 broke his silence and said he was framed up by the police. He added that he visited the same police station six times to assist in the investigation only for the Force to turn around and accuse him of being behind the killing of Oyerinde who he described as his close friend .'My arrest and detention was a heinous frame up by the Nigerian police who brought one Garuba Usman Maisamari, a man I have never met all my life to level a baseless criminal allegation against my person. The plot against me was thick and I thank God that today the truth is out that I know nothing about the false allegation leveled against me by the police and their evil collaborators.' .At a press briefing where he was flanked by hundreds of members of the civil society organisations across the state, Ugolor said: 'The prison reforms and decongestion in Nigeria will be impossible if the police continue the culture of impunity of arresting, harassing, detaining and framing up of innocent citizens.'But my arrest and detention, particularly now that the nation is talking about police reforms further reinforces the need for a genuine reform of the police given their complicity in my ordeal. If I, an environmental and human rights activist can suffer from a frame up by the Police in the 21st century Nigeria and a globalised world, you could imagine what the innocent, ordinary Nigerian citizens are going through on a daily basis in the hands of the police.'It is shameful and sad that even when the court of competent jurisdiction ordered the IGP to release me unconditionally, they flagrantly disobeyed the court order. This is a threat to democracy and an open invitation to anarchy as espoused by the court of Friday, September 14, 2012 which also declared my arrest and detention illegal and a violation of my fundamental human right,' he said.He added: 'I made bold to say that Olaitan was my friend, a true friend in life and in death. I mourn his death till date and I want to re-iterate my call on the Police to fish out the killers and submit them to justice. Olaitan deserves justice whether in life or in death'.
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