EFCC Arrests PDP Deputy National Chairman, Uche Secondus...

Party condemns clampdown on its leaders Jonathan’s ADC sues anti-graft agency seeks N100m as damages

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arrested the Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Uche Secondus

The Head, Media and Publicity of the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujiaren, confirmed the arrest to THISDAY in Abuja.

“It is true; he is right now (4:30p.m) in our office for interrogation,” Uwujiaren stated.

Earlier, the Director, New Media of the PDP, Adeyanju Deji, had announced Secondus’s arrest yesterday through his twitter handle @adeyanjudeji.

According to Adeyanju, the EFCC had asked Secondus to return some buses he received from an unnamed person.

Secondus was the acting chairman of the PDP until Monday last week when he handed over to the newly appointed party Chairman, Alhaji Ali-Modu Sheriff.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, recently regained his freedom after a protracted incarceration by the anti-graft agency.

He was accused of receiving N400 million from a former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

However, the party has described the arrest as oppressive, lamenting the unfair treatments against its key leaders by the federal government.

In a statement by the PDP National Legal Adviser, Victor Kwon, the party said the arrest and detention of Secondus was part of the grand script by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to decimate the opposition.

“We are also aware that plans have been perfected by the federal government to arrest and detain the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio and other leaders of the party on imaginary charges.

“Indeed, intelligence available to the party shows that the federal government, using its various agencies, is bent on destroying any opposition to the ruling party as all indications show that the government is more interested in humiliating the PDP than fighting corruption.

“Finally, we state that this war on the PDP and its leaders has indeed gone too far. It has now become a mockery of democratic practice,” he said.

This came as the former Aide de Camp (ADC) to former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, Col. Ojogbane Adegbe, has dragged the anti-graft agency to court to challenge his alleged detention.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Adegbe, in the suit filed at the Federal High Court by his counsel, Ogwu Onoja (SAN), is claiming N100 million as damages for his detention, which violated his fundamental rights.

Onoja urged the court to declare that his client’s arrest and continued detention by EFCC since February 11 was unconstitutional and violated his right to personal liberty guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution.

He further urged the court to make an order directing the EFCC to immediately release the applicant from unlawful detention.

Onoja argued the arrest and detention of Adegbe by the EFCC violated his right to personal liberty and freedom of movement guaranteed by Section 35 and 41 of the 1999 Constitution.

The applicant’s counsel contended that EFCC’s action violated Articles 5,6 and 12 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The case has been fixed for February 26 for hearing.