The Rivers Indigenous NGO’s and Civil Society Network (RINGOCS) has slammed the Rivers State Police Command over the continues detention and torture of MR. SUCCESS BASSEY over allegations that is still unclear as alleged by Justice Bright Deemua.
The civil society group said it is wondering why the State Police Command cannot conclude investigation or free Mr. Success Bassey, even as it’s investigation for 50 days now have not implicated the man in anyway.
RINGOCS maintained that it frowns at the conspiracy, and sponsor of extra-judicial torture of Mr. Success Bassey, by the supposed clergy man, and Judicial Officer of high esteem, Justice Bright Deemua of the Customary Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt, and demand the State Chief Judge, and the President, Rivers State Customary Court of Appeal to immediately suspend the said judicial officer, and investigate his involvement into the matter.
Tombari Dumka-Kote, Chairman of RINGOCS/Coordinator, River State Response Team on Violence Against Women & Children, stated this on arrival from a meeting of the South-South/South-East Civil Society Forum, held at Awka, Anambra State.
Dumka-Kote called on the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Effiong Okon to respect the fundamental right of Mr. Success Bassey, who is still been detained at the State CID, Port Harcourt and order the immediate and unconditional release of the detained man to his family.
Dumka-Kote, who hinted that the meeting was held to review the State of Human Rights Violation by State Actors and Its Implication for National Security, regretted that the Police was yet to commission any investigation into the circumstances that led to the alleged bounding of Mr. Bassey’s hands and foot, hanging, torture and other forms of inhuman treatment suffered by the detainee.
‘torture of suspects and unlawful incarceration is against the rules of modern policing, as it violates not only the fundamental rights of the suspect to fair hearing, but is obnoxious and contrary to Section 37(1)(a and b) of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, and the Anti-Torture Act 2017. The Police in this regard, are yet to name or punish officers who tortured this young man. Neither have they charged the man to court for any crime. Today makes the 50th day since he was arrested and we wonder what kind of investigation is been done even after forensic experts have visited the alleged crime scene’. the group maintained.
‘It is even unlawful for a judicial officer of the rank of Justice Deemua, to descend so low to the extent of been known to have been involved in a process that contravenes the law as in this instance’.
We have made our demands and position known to the world at the meeting, and in the coming days, we shall be taking every action within the ambit of the law to get justice for the young man and his family,’ the RINGOCS Chairman stated.
It will be recalled that Aniefon Bassey, wife of the detained man had on 19th December, 2022 narrated to reporters how her husband had left home for his daily menial job on the 5th of December 2022 but never returned home, until she got a call from his co-workers two days latter after much search that her husband was arrested and is been detained at the Mini-Okoro Police Division.
Mrs. Bassey who said she visited the station and saw her husband looking differently from whom she use to know as a result of the endless torture and hanging him upside down to make him confess to committing the alleged crime said he told her the husband of his former employer, Justice Bright Deemua, a Pastor with the Deeper Life Bible Church, Rumuokalagbor was responsible for his ordeal.
She also called on well meaning Nigerians, and the Rivers Government to come to the rescue of her husband who is now seriously ill in detention without trial.
The civil society group said violation of the rights of citizens like MR. SUCCESS BASSEY by the Police and other State actors topped discussion at the CSOs regional meeting.
Tombari Dumka-Kote
Chairman RINGOCS/Coordinator, VAWG Response Team.
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