“You Can’t Silence The Questions!” — Mene Demands Osia’s Release Or Court Trial, Questions Police, DSS Over Tompolo-Linked Allegations And Pending Petitions
By Passman Akpos
WARRI — The Convener of the Warri Reclamation Thrust, Mrs. Mene Tsaye, has demanded the immediate release or prosecution of Niger Delta activist, Comrade Perela Ezekiel Osia, following his arrest by the Nigerian Police.
Tsaye said Osia should either be released or taken before a competent court, where the allegations against him can be tested through due process.
Speaking on behalf of the Warri Reclamation Thrust, she also questioned the handling of petitions previously submitted by the group and other concerned Niger Delta stakeholders over alleged human-rights abuses and a purported private detention facility allegedly linked to High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo.
Tsaye stressed that the allegations remain claims requiring proper investigation and determination by the appropriate authorities.
According to her, the group had submitted petitions over several months, with some allegedly pending for more than a year, to the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Presidency, the Department of State Services and other security agencies.
She alleged that the petitions contained claims of torture, dehumanisation, oppression and forced labour involving alleged victims, including some Itsekiri people.
Tsaye further claimed that witness statements and video evidence were submitted alongside the petitions, but alleged that the petitioners and witnesses were not invited to provide further information or assist with investigations.
She questioned why authorities had allegedly not taken comparable action on those petitions while activists who publicly raised questions about the allegations were being arrested.
“Who will investigate our petitions?” Tsaye asked, arguing that allegations of serious human-rights violations should be subjected to independent investigation regardless of the individuals involved.
She also referenced the case of Chief Barrister Robinson, whom she alleged had previously faced an attempted arrest or abduction in connection with similar advocacy.
According to Tsaye, the matter was taken to the United Nations and also became the subject of a fundamental-rights case before a Nigerian court, where she alleged that judgment had remained pending for months.
Her latest comments followed the arrest of activist Perela Ezekiel Osia.
Tsaye described the arrest as unfair, particularly against the backdrop of what she said was the authorities’ failure to act on the group’s earlier petitions.
She therefore demanded Osia’s immediate release.
However, she said that if the authorities have evidence against him, they should charge him before a competent court instead of keeping him in detention without a transparent judicial process.
“Let the court decide,” she maintained, stressing that a proper trial would provide an opportunity for both the prosecution and defence to present their evidence.
Tsaye said alleged victims and witnesses referenced in the group’s petitions are still alive and ready to testify.
She added that the Warri Reclamation Thrust was prepared to present video recordings, witness statements and other materials before a court or appropriate investigative panel if given the opportunity.
“Our witnesses are alive and ready to testify,” Tsaye said in substance, insisting that allegations involving alleged unlawful detention, torture or forced labour should be properly investigated rather than ignored.
She also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct the relevant security agencies to uphold the rule of law and ensure that citizens are treated equally before the law.
According to her, continued perceptions of selective enforcement could undermine public confidence in security institutions and create further tension in the Niger Delta.
The Warri Reclamation Thrust therefore urged the police and other relevant authorities to publicly clarify the circumstances surrounding Osia’s arrest, the allegations against him and his current legal status.
The group also renewed its call for an investigation into the allegations contained in its previous petitions.
The allegations concerning Tompolo, the security agencies and other individuals referenced by Tsaye have not been established as facts by a court based on the information available for this report. Responses from the individuals and institutions concerned would be relevant to a complete account.
