From AMEDU JOSEPH, Lokoja
A nursing mother in Kogi State, Onize Tijani, has appealed for intervention over the continued detention of her husband, Shuaibu Abdulmumuni, alleging that he has been held by the police for several days over a political disagreement without being charged to court.
Tijani alleged that her husband and a friend were invited by the police in connection with a political disagreement in Adavi Local Government Area.
She said her husband, whom she described as a law-abiding citizen, honoured the police invitation voluntarily with the expectation that the matter would be resolved transparently.
According to her, the two men were subsequently moved to Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, where they have remained in police custody.
“As a nursing mother, I cry out with a heavy heart for justice. I have made every effort to see my husband, but I have been denied the comfort of knowing his condition. Every day that passes feels like a lifetime. The emotional pain, fear and uncertainty have taken a serious toll on my health,” she said.
She questioned the basis for her husband’s continued detention without trial.
“What crime has my husband committed that justifies keeping him behind bars without trial? If there is any allegation against him, let him be taken before a competent court. If there is none, let him regain his freedom and return to his family,” she added.
Tijani appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the Kogi State Commissioner of Police, the Police Public Relations Officer, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, the media and well-meaning Nigerians to intervene.
“As our nation continues to strengthen its democracy, our security institutions must remain protectors of justice and not instruments of oppression or political intimidation. The rule of law must prevail over arbitrary actions,” she said.
She urged the authorities to either charge her husband before a competent court without further delay or release him.
As of press time, the Kogi State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the matter.
Section 35 of the 1999 Constitution provides that any person arrested should be brought before a court within a reasonable time.