When the music was loudest, almost every Nigerian danced. We all wanted a scapegoat. Someone who would be the target of our pains, our losses and grieves. And the security agencies wanted to show they were up and doing. They picked AMINU
SADIQ OGWUCHE. And we, mindlessly, went wild in relieve.
Today, the music is different. The song another lyric, with different drum beat.
Today, we heard he's innocent or what? Some said his father, a retired colonel, played a major part in making sure he was not indicted. We don't know what is the truth. We only know that the police are putting the blame on DSS...
Below is police statement to the effect of distancing itself from the present mess that is Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche.
The attention of the Nigeria Police
High Command has been drawn to a most misleading media report that charges
filed by the Nigeria Police at the Federal High Court Abuja, were struck out
for lack of diligent prosecution in respect of the suspected terrorist AMINU
SADIQ OGWUCHE.
It would be recalled that the
Department of State Security (DSS), that had intelligence on the Nyanya Bombing
and was investigating it, made a formal request to the Nigeria Police to assist
in extraditing one Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche to Nigeria from Sudan, through the
Interpol channel of which the Nigeria Police is well versed.
It was at this stage and for this
reason that the Nigeria Police Force filed charges against the suspected
fugitive Aminu Sadiq Ogwuche, based on information that he fled to Sudan.
The filing of charges against the
suspect is a legal procedure to enable the Nigeria Police formally request the
Sudanese authorities to grant Nigeria’s extradition request in respect of the
suspected fugitive.
For the records, copy of filed
charge(s) against a fugitive must be appended to documents in support of
extradition request made to the host country, which in this case, is Sudan.
These facts were made known to the
court when it insisted on the production of the accused even before his
extradition to Nigeria.
Following Ogwuche’s extradition which
the Nigeria Police accomplished successfully, the DSS, obtained a Court Order
to remand the suspect for an initial period of three months in line with the
Prevention of Terrorism Act and also liaised with the Office of the
Attorney-General of the Federation to undertake his prosecution.
For the record, at no time did the
Nigeria Police arraign the suspect in court for terrorism related offences.
Moreover, the purported prosecution/arraignment by the Police could not have
happened as the Police could not prosecute a suspect it never arrested, never
investigated nor had in its custody.
It is therefore grossly erroneous,
mischievous and malicious to impute lack of diligent prosecution to the Police.
The Nigeria Police Force is manifestly and positively committed to the will
of Nigerians to rid the nation of violent crimes like terrorism. Many of our
officers have paid the supreme sacrifice on account of this.
The Police while respecting the rights
of the media to publish, however appeals that due diligent check be observed to
ensure that misleading information is not disseminated to the reading public.
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