Our dear gallant, patriotic, detribalized and ever-dynamic IGP, we sincerely hope that all is well with you and your new wife, Zarha Bunu? We ‘re sorry that we had to make this letter an open matter; apologies; it was borne out of the bureaucratic inconvenience of your office.
Dear lovely IGP, we wish to bring to your notice of the bizarre idiosyncrasy of Ms Ngozi Braide, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Lagos State command and the unethical conduct of your officers in Lagos State command.
Ngozi, a young woman saddled with the responsibility of laundering the image of the Police institution in Lagos State is currently destroying the institution she’s being heavily paid to defend with her youthful exuberance, arrogance, incompetence, etc.
Sir, without much ado, the ordeals of one of our friends in the hands of Ngozi Braide and some of her happy-trigger officers in Lagos State, goes as thus:
The beginning of the illegality, the exhibition of unprofessionalism and recklessness by the Lagos Police Command under the supervision of Ngozi Braids, Lagos State PPRO:
Sir, our friend, Mr. Abragahou Aminu, a Lagos based french teacher, while trekking along Ketu-Ojota road on Tuesday 19th November, 2013, saw an ugly incident between two Police officers (a policeman and a policewoman both in uniform) and a commercial driver. Aminu, being a man with a high level alertness, brought out his mobile handset and started recording/snapping the public show of shame.
However, a police officer saw Aminu when he was recording the incident and pounced on him. Aminu was mercilessly beaten by the policeman for recording public unrest. He was initially detained at the Ketu Police station. When we contacted Ngozi Braide, Lagos PPRO to intervene, she insulted us, saying that she had been looking for a scape goat amongst Nigerians that do record the illegal activities of the Nigerian Police. Ngozi banged the call and the next we heard was that Aminu has been transferred from Ketu police station to the Lagos PPRO, then to Ikeja police Area “F” command. All these happened simply because Aminu used his mobile phone to record an incident between a commercial driver and a-team of police officers.
Aminu’s phone was seized on the order of Ngozi, the Lagos PPRO while the policeman fighting with the commercial driver was released unconditionally while the innocent teacher, Mr Abrangahou Aminu was detained up till saturday 23rd November before he was arraigned at a Magistrate Court in Yaba, Lagos. More also, we wish to inform you that the commercial driver that a policeman was having a public show of shame with, was not detained for a second.
The cruel incarceration of Aminu and the exhibition of lawlessness by Ngozi Braide, Lagos PPRO:
Dear IGP, as stated above, Aminu was arrested on Tuesday 19th November, 2013 and kept in four different police detention cells before his kangaroo Arraignment on Saturday 23rd November, 2013. All moves made by us to secure the release of Aminu on bail were rejected by your men in Lagos command acting to the instruction of Ngozi Braids, Lagos PPRO. Aminu was first arbitrarily detained at Ketu Police Station, from Ketu, he was transferred to the PPRO’s office where he was harassed for hours. From PPRO’s office, the innocent Aminu was transferred to Area F detention cell, and from Area F to X-squad cell. All these acts of injustice and unprofessionalism were perpetrated by your men simply because a man was caught recording an incident with his mobile phone!
Sir, may we bring to your notice that the police possesses no power to keep an accused in custody for more than 48 hours at most. May we also remind you that the PPRO’s office is not meant for the tourtoring of an accused. May we also inform you that the X-squad detention cell that Aminu was detained for about 96 hours wasn’t meant for civilians but for that of undisciplined/errand officers.
Sir, it might interest you to note that while at Ngozi Braide’s mini-detention room, Aminu was compelled to re-write his statement under duress to suit Ngozi Braids. He was made to write an apology letter, which he did after he has been irresponsibly threatened/tortured. Aminu was also given a letter of apology to sign which he did under duress. His phone was seized, cloth was torn and most of the vital information related to this case which he stored on his phone memory were deleted except one photo, all in order to cover up the unprofessional acts of your men.
Sir, may we also inform you that Ngozi Braids said she consider it as disservice to the Police force for civilians to be recording their activities while Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah could not be sanctioned for buying armoured cars. Ngozi also averred that the police had been looking for a scape goat amongst Nigerians that do record their acts of unprofessionalism. Ngozi claimed that uploading the corrupt and immoral activities of the Police on the social, print and electronic media is disservice to the nation! Dear IGP, to us, we consider Ngozi’s affirmations as reckless and irresponsible!
The hues and cries about Aminu’s nationality:
Dear IGP, may we inform you that your officers in Lagos under the supervision of PPRO Ngozi Braide arrogantly claimed that Aminu possesses no constitutional right to record the incident leading to his unlawful incarceration and unlawful detention simply because he is a Togolese. Sir, your officers, out of ignorant, have forgotten that Togo is a West Africa country, hence, he possesses diplomatic immunity, freedom of movement and trade as entrenched by the law of the economic community of west African states (ECOWAS). In addition to that, Aminu’s ECOWAS passport is valid and yet to expire. His residential and working permits are valid.
The questionable arraignment of Aminu at Magistrate court:
Dear IGP, after all the pleas and moves made by us and about 20 human rights journalists, lawyers and concerned Nigerians to have Aminu released on bail were curiously, unlawfully rejected by Ngozi Braide with the aide of the Lagos Police Commissioner, Alhaji Umaru Tanko, Aminu was sadly arranged in court on Saturday 23rd November, 2013.
Alas, our team of lawyers secured the bail of Aminu but no one was on ground to sign his bail paper.
It is an incontrovertible fact that Saturday is not a working day in Nigeria. Sir, we make bold to avow that Aminu was arraigned on Saturday in order for your men to have ample of opportunities to suffer him the more in their detention cell thereby causing him more mental, psychological and emotional traumas.
Furthermore, may we inform you that when we met with the Police Commissioner (CP) over Aminu’s ordeal, we discovered that Ngozi Braids had satanically lied against him. The C.P said Aminu would not be released because we had alerted well-meaning Nigerians about his ordeal via social media. Sir, may we ask that when has it become an offence to run/alert/cry/report to the public via the social media? When has it become a crime for one to exercise his/her rights to speech and expression?
Our charter of demands:
Dear IGP, having patriotically and moderately perused and exposed the unethical and unprofessional display of your officers in Lagos, we hereby give your esteemed institution 7 days, starting from today to meet the following demands or risk a never-seen-before mass and court actions (lawfully):
(1). immediate removal of Ngozi Braids as the Police public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Lagos State. We also demand for her immediate demotion as she has proven to be Immatured. Ngozi Braids has also proved that she deserves not the exalted position she currently holds.
(2). Immediate withdraw of the suit against Mr. Aminu Abragahou as he did nothing wrong to warrant being prosecuted and persecuted. Attempting to expose illegality, absurdity, immorality and unprofessionalism doesn’t warrant being caged.
(3). Immediate arrest and prosecution of the police officers who arrested Aminu in Ketu. The police officers who were involved in the show of shame with a commercial driver that Aminu was recording in Ketu should also be arrested and prosecuted.
(4). Having suffered enormous psychological, emotional and mental humiliations in the hands of the men of Nigeria Police Force, we demand that the Nigeria Police should adequately compensate Mr. Aminu Abragahou as he has lost his teaching job during his ongoing ordeal. It will amount to a crime against humanity should Aminu’s heavily pregnant wife be allowed to suffer.
Lastly sir, may we conclude this letter by reminding you of the words of Martin Luther King which says that “In the end, we ‘ll remember not only the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Sir, May we also remind you of the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson which goes as thus: “all lives are interrelated, we are being caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality and tied up in a single garment of one destiny; whatever affects one directly affect all indirectly”
Dear IGP, consequent upon the above words of marble from Ralph Waldo Emerson and Martin Luther King, we wish to remind you that injustice anywhere, is Injustice everywhere!
Dear IGP sir, as the outstanding Man of the year 2013 (an award you recently bagged in Abuja), we put it to you that we ‘re anxiously awaiting your quick response to this letter. Sir, may we remind you that both the words and silence of our friends shall be remembered when divine judgement is being delivered.
Thanks and God bless.
Yours truly,
High Chief Sandra Duru,
Executive Director, Pre-Adult Affairs Organisation (www.pre-adultaffairs.org)
Zest Entertainment & Media Limited(www.bareitoutwithsandraduru.tv)
Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
234-8026741128
CC: President FRN
CC: Senate Committee on Police Affairs
CC: Fed Min of Police Affairs
CC: Police Service commission
CC: African Diplomatic Mission
CC: ECOWAS
CC: Relevant Human Rights lawyers/NGOs/ Journalists
CC: NANS