Nigerian
Comedian Mr Ebi Tubotu aka Shakara has issued a letter to the Inspector
General of Police Arase and Airtel Nigeria Limited through his legal
team demanding for compensation,
public apology over the brutal abuse of his fundamental human Rights
when him and his family members were wrongfully arrested, beaten,
extorted and publicly disgraced courtesy of the wrong information Airtel
Nigeria provided to the Nigeria Police.
Both the IG and Airtel Nigeria Limited has been given 7 days to reply or risked been dragged to Court.
Copies of both letters
can be seen below.
#justice4shakara
The inspector General of Police
Nigeria police force
Force headquarters
LOUISE edet house
Abuja -Nigeria
Sir,
Unwarranted Arrest, Brutalization, Harassment And Intimidation of Mr. Ebi Tubotu (aka Shakara) by the police
We have been briefed
and our professional services retained by mr. Ebi Tubotu (aka Shakara)
(hereinafter referred to as our client) and we write you this letter on
his unequivocal
instructions. Our client is a professional comedian.
The briefing of our
client reveals that on the 19th of February, 2016, he got information
from Neighbors his father's residence that some policemen have stormed
his father's
Neighbor hood and started arresting the young men in the area.
According
to them, the policemen led by inspector HUMPREY had arrested one Mr.
Ovie whom they suspected to be our client, and when he told them he was
not EBI, they demanded
that he should take them to our client residence. The said Obie
received the beating of his life when he told he does not know where our
client lives.
Other three young men
within the neighborhood who demanded to know why mr. Ovie was brin
beaten up like common criminal were not speared, they were arrested
alongside with ovie.
When the ordeal was on,
Ovie who then noticed that the entire neighborhood was now aware of the
presence of these gun carrying men persons, told them that he did not
know where
our client lives but that he can only take them to our client father's
house.
In a commando manner,
the policemen marched the said Ovie and the other three young men whom
at this time, had been handcuffed to our client's father's house. When
they got
there, they forcefully gained entrance into the house and directed
everybody in the house to come out at gun point. In the process, our
client's father, Elder Joe Tubotu, his mother Mrs. Roseline Oweiware
Tubotu, his brother and sister Godbless and TIMI Tubotu
respectively were arrested. When our client's father demanded to know
why were arrested. Inspector HUMPREY told him that they want our client
who had been confirmed to have kidnapped a certain lady.
Our client's father who
informed the police who is a well-known comedian within the
entertainment world had never and cannot be a kidnapper. Our client
father also demanded
to know the nexus between his son and those in handcuffs but Inspector
HUMPREY told him that he had no right to know and except he show them
the hideout of our client, the police will take all of them to Lagos.
Our client's father told them that they should
release his wife and children as he was ready to take them (police) to
where our client who is married with children lives.
The police bluffed the
demand and loaded all of them Into to the vehicle. They drove to
Ugborikoko police station, Effurun in delta state where they put Ovie
and the others
in police cell. Our client's father then led them to the OSUBI
residence o our client.
On
getting there our client's father called him and when he came out, the
police pounced on him and started beating him with gun bolt in the
presence of his family and neighbors
while some o them started firing gun shots into the air. Our client who
was wearing only boxer and singlet, was then handcuffed and asked to
surrender his mobile phones which he did.
Thereafter, our client
was taken away to the said Ugborikoko police station where he met his
father's neighbors and member o his family in the cell. Our client
appealed to release
those young men that were arrested just because they live within the
neighbor hood of his father.
Our client contend that
at that stage, both his relations and friends have gathered at the
police station to solicit for his release but inspector HUMPREY openly
told them that
our client I a kidnapper that cannot be released. At this stage, our
client started crying and insisting that he must be shown his accuser
and why on earth he had to face this horrible ordeal in the hands of
inspector HUMPREY and the Nigeria police. Upon his
insistence, one of the police officers who had earlier on took over his
phones, asked our client to quote his Airtel Nigeria Limited phone
number, our client quoted 08080300000. The officer dialed the number and
the phone started ringing in his hand. Inspector
HUMPREY compared the number of our client with a particular number and
his countenance changed.
The junior officer who
was with inspector HUMPREY immediately told him that the number that was
giving to them is not the same thing as the number of our client. In a
clear
language, he told inspector that our client was an innocent person but
inspector HUMPREY shouted him down and stated that The information given
to them by Airtel Nigeria Limited cannot be wrong. He insisted that our
client must be taken to Lagos. Our client
then pleaded with inspector HUMPREY to allow him to wear a pair of
trouser and polo that his wife brought for him but inspector HUMPREY
bluntly refused.
Our
client then bundled into the waiting police van and take to Lagos i.e
Area M. Command, Nigeria Polive command Idimu. On getting to the
station, officers on ground started
calling our client a kidnapper heaping insults on him until he was
handed over to another officer for interrogation. How our client's cell
phone number was concluded to be the number the alleged kidnapper were
using to demand ransom according to the police,
remains a mystery to our client
Sir,
after the interrogation, our client was taken before the head of the
station. It did not take the superior officer thirty(30) minutes to know
that his officer have brought
the wrong person. He then ordered the release without making provisions
for our client's accommodation, transportation and clothing.
Our
client was released on bail after his surety was coerced to fulfill
financial bail conditions. Our client contends that he was made to beg
on the streets of Lagos like a
destitute until his brother was able to locate him and gave him cloths
to cover his almost frozen body that night.
Sir,
it is clear from the above adumbrated facts that our client was
unnecessary subjected to the worst inhuman treatment, intimidation and
Brutalization by your men of the
police force without any iota of regard for his fundamental human right
as enshrine in the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
We
wish to state that our client was treated like a common criminal,
convicted by inspector HUMPREY led team even before the investigation
started.
Our
client contends that the said public disgrace and violation of his
fundamental human right by the police has damage his reputation and that
of his family. Same has also
caused both physical and psychological trauma to him and members of his
family, particularly his wife and aged father. The irresponsible arrest
on the false accusation that our client is a kidnapper has damaged his
name and fame as a foremost comedian within
the entertainment industry.
In view of the foregoing, we have our client further instructions to demand as follows:
1.
Immediate investigation into the unprovoked violation of his
fundamental right; the involvement of Airtel Nigeria limited.
2.
The sum of N500, 000. 00 (five hundred million Naira) being damages for
the unlawful act invasion of his private life and violation of his
fundamental human right by your
said officers.
TAKE
NOTE that should our client's modest demand fall on deaf ears within
seven (7)days of the delivery of this letter to your office, we shall be
compelled to seek legal redress
against you, the police service commission and those involved in a
competent court of law without further notice from this office,
A stitch in time saves nine!
Yours faithfully
Anthony E. Duku Esq. ACIArb
(Principal Associate)
+++++++++o+o
The managing director, Airtel Nigeria Ltd
Plot L2 Banana island,
foreshore Estate
ikoyi Lagos
Nigeria
Sir,
UNWARRANTED,
UNETHICAL, DELIBERATE AND WRONGFUL INFORMATION GIVEN TO THE NIGERIA
POLICE ABOUT MR. EBI TUBOTU'S (AKA SHAKARA) AIRTEL NUMBER 08080300000;
THE CONSEQUENT VIOLENT
ATTACK/VIOLATION OF HIS FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT THEREFROM; DEMAND FOR
DAMAGES.
We
have been briefed nd our professional services retained by Mr. Ebi
Tubotu (aka Shakara) (hereinafter referred to as our client) nd we write
you this letter on our client
instructions.
Our
client briefing reveals that's he is ur customer with Airtel number
08080300000 and that he had use this said line for several years now.
Our client who is well known comedian
in the Nigeria Entertainment Industry got the greatest shock of his
life when precisely on the 19th day of February 2016, policemen from the
area m. Command, Nigeria police force Idimu stormed the residence of
his father in warri and arrested all members of
his household that were around that morning on the excuse that they
were looking for our client who they claimed was involved in kidnapping
an undisclosed lady.
According to the
police, your company confirmed from ur records/call log register that
the line/ Airtel phone number with which the alleged kidnappers were
using to demand for
ransom was that of our client. Your company printed the photograph of
our client with which he registered the line/Airtel phone number
aforesaid, went further to print the call log from ur system and gave
the address of our client's father were he was living
at the time he registered the line.
Our
client states that based on information which you "authenticated" and
supplied the policemen, they were able to trace our client's place. The
said policemen led by Mr. HUMPREY
thoroughly embarrassed nd intimidated members of our client's father
until our client'a father who knew that the information you gave to the
police was false, took the policemen to our client's residence at OSUBI
town in Delta State where our client now
lives with his family.
At
the residence of our client the policemen dragged him out with only his
sleeping shorts and singlet in the presence of his wife, children and
all neighbors who were already
gathered at the sound of the sporadic shooting of the policemen.
When our client
demanded to know why he was been arrested, the policemen told not to
pretend about his kidnapping activities. They bundled him with handcuffs
and his father
into the police waiting van and drove away. They started making calls
and celebrating our client's arrest which they attributed to the
information you provided.
Our client was taken to
Ugborikoko police station, Effurun (Delta State) where some of the boys
living in his father's street were detailed on the account of our
client.
At the station, our
client was hurriedly thrown into the police cell still with only a pant
shorts and singlet after the policemen made calls to confirm to their
boss in Lagos
that the kidnapper has been nabbed. But before then, one of the police
officers who confronted our client with the information you gave to the
police expressed some reservations after comparing the print our
information and the Airtel phone number of our client.
Our client who was yet
to take his breakfast was driven to Lagos without food for the whole
day. Our client states that upon arriving the police office in Lagos, he
was handed
to another police officer for interview. At the of the exercise, our
client was taken before the head of the command who had earlier called
for the case file.
According to our
client, when he was presented to the commander the latter was very
disturbed at the state he saw our client. The commander nevertheless put
few questions to
him and called the leader of the team to release out client as the
police had been misled by your information to subject the wrong person
to unnecessary and avoidable ordeal. He asked the officer to take him
away.
Our client was later
released without any arrangement on ground to redress the gross
violation of his fundamental human right aforesaid. It is clear from the
above adumbrated
facts that your information to the police about our client was
careless, deliberate, unethical and a complete falsehood.
You
did not verify the said information before you maliciously gave same to
the police. Our client became a victim of this your unprofessional and
deliberate action. But if
not for God, our client would have been killed and / or died in the
hands of the police.
In view of the foregoing, we have our client's further instructions to from you as follows:
1. A written apology duly published in not less than two (2) National dailies within (7) days of the receipt of this letter,
2. The some of N800, 000. 00 (Eight Hundred Million Naira) being damage for your said acts.
Take
notice that should you fail to meet our client's demand within seven
(7) days of the delivery of this to your office, we shall seek legal
redress against you in a court
of law without further notice from this office.
Take
further notice, that our client's resort to legal redress against you
is without prejudice to his right report you conduct to the appropriate
commission, bodies and/ or
authorities for further actions against you.
No comments:
Post a Comment