The House of Representatives has issued a fresh order to the Department of State Services, DSS, over the arrest and detention of the President of the Nigerian Youth Council, Mr. Ugochinyere Michael.
The Reps maintained that Ugochinyere’s detention without any charges filed against him was unlawful and therefor ordered the DSS to either charge him to court or release him with immediate effect.
The House also directed the DSS to make whatever offences allegedly committed by the detained person known to the public.
The move by the house followed the a motion filed under matters of urgent public importance which was brought before it by Goodluck Opiah, PDP, Imo.
The lawmaker while praying his motion expressed worries that Ugochinyere’s arrest was alleged to have been due to comments he uttered on a television interview on the trial of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
He said: “The House is worried that he has been harassed and intimidated for supporting the Senate President and taking the Minister of Youth and Sport to court in protection of his office as President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria.
“Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees the freedom of opinion of all Nigerians, including Mr. Ugochinyere Michael.
“Section 35 further guarantees the right to personal liberty of Mr. Ugochinyere and we are worried that he has been held for more than 48 hours by the men of the DSS.”