...Call on Presidency and Relevant Security Agencies to Investigate Allegations of Criminal Conduct involving Tompolo, Tantita and their Associates

A former agitator from Nigeria’s Niger Delta region, Gen. Sunday Obioma, has called on the Inspector-General of Police to order the Police Cybercrime Division at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to respect bail conditions, which are a fundamental legal right of every citizen, and to order the immediate release of Ezekiel Daniel Perela Osia.

He alleged that the continued detention of the Niger Delta activist amounts to an abuse of police powers and a violation of his fundamental rights.

In a statement issued on the matter, Obioma expressed concern over what he described as the alleged use of the Nigerian police to suppress efforts to expose wrongdoing in the Niger Delta. He questioned why Ezekiel Daniel remains in police custody while individuals whom Daniel has accused of serious offences are, according to him, not facing similar restrictions.

Obioma said Daniel had openly stood by allegations he made against certain individuals and organisations in the region, including allegations involving kidnapping, the operation of alleged private detention facilities, torture, forced labour and killings.

He argued that the allegations are serious enough to warrant an impartial investigation rather than the continued detention of the person who made them.

According to Obioma, “You cannot keep a man who is fighting against injustice in the region while those he accused are working freely.”

The former agitator further alleged that Daniel’s continued detention was connected to complaints or demands from persons whom Daniel had accused of wrongdoing. He urged the police to handle the matter strictly within the framework of Nigerian law and to ensure that the rights of the detained man are protected.

At the centre of Obioma’s argument is the issue of bail. He stated that Daniel was granted bail conditions at the Cybercrime Police Station and alleged that the detainee had fulfilled those conditions.

Obioma maintained that once the stipulated bail requirements had been satisfied, the police should either release Daniel or take him before a court of competent jurisdiction if there are grounds for further prosecution.

He stressed that a police station does not have the authority of a court to determine a person's guilt or innocence, arguing that prolonged detention without due legal process would raise serious questions about the protection of fundamental rights.

“The Cybercrime Police Station is not the court, and they gave him bail conditions which he has met. It is proper for the police to let him go or charge him to court for the law to take effect,” Obioma said.

He described Daniel’s continued detention as an alleged violation of his fundamental human rights and called on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the detention.

Obioma specifically appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to examine the conduct of officers allegedly responsible for keeping Daniel in custody despite the reported fulfilment of his bail conditions.

He accused unnamed officers at the Cybercrime Police Station of alleged manipulation and wrongdoing and urged the police leadership to take appropriate action if an investigation establishes that officers have acted outside the law.

The statement also broadened its focus to allegations involving Tantita Security Services and individuals associated with the organisation. Obioma called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant security agencies to investigate allegations of criminal conduct involving Tompolo, Tantita and their associates.

He urged the authorities to determine the facts surrounding the allegations through an independent and lawful investigation and, where evidence of criminal wrongdoing is established, ensure that the appropriate legal process is followed.

The allegations referenced in Obioma’s statement are serious and would require investigation and evidence before they can be treated as established facts. The individuals and organisations named in the statement are entitled to respond to the allegations and to due process under Nigerian law.

Obioma’s intervention therefore places two related issues before the authorities: the circumstances surrounding Ezekiel Daniel Perela Osia’s continued detention and the need for the relevant security agencies to investigate the broader allegations raised concerning activities in the Niger Delta.

He concluded by urging the Inspector-General of Police and other government authorities to ensure that the matter is handled transparently, lawfully and without political or personal interference.

For Obioma, the central question is whether the Nigerian justice system will allow allegations of serious wrongdoing to be tested through a transparent investigation and judicial process, rather than through prolonged detention or other measures outside the courts.