Ijaw Leaders Demand Immediate Release Of Detained Journalist, Accuse Hotel Manager Of Being A Snitch, Police Informant
Bristol, a whistleblower behind PIDOMNIGERIA, an online platform known for investigative reporting that frequently uncovered corruption and exposes other injustice, was arrested on the 5th of August 2024.
Ijaw Leaders Demand Immediate Release of Detained Journalist, Accuse Hotel Manager of Being a Snitch, Police Informant Prominent Ijaw leaders, veterans, and critical stakeholders have joined forces with the family of investigative journalist and whistleblower, Isaac Bristol, to demand his immediate and unconditional release.
Bristol, a whistleblower behind PIDOMNIGERIA, an online platform known for investigative reporting that frequently uncovered corruption and exposes other injustice, was arrested on the 5th of August 2024. According to a press statement issued by the Ijaw leaders and obtained by NewsWeek Nigeria, the hotel manager allegedly provided information to the police, leading to Bristol’s arrest. The Ijaw leaders have condemned this action, labeling the manager a “snitch” and accusing him of betraying Bristol’s trust. They argue that the arrest is a clear violation of Bristol’s rights and is aimed at intimidating those who seek to hold powerful entities accountable.
Precisely on the 5th August 2024, men of the Nigeria Police Force clad in mufty, arrived at Osmosis Hotel, by Paflox filling station on Ada road in 2 Lexus RX350 SUVs at about 1:12pm in the afternoon, broke into the hotel room of our son and brother Mr Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya, arrested and took him away to an undisclosed location in a gestapo manner.
Family members didn’t get wind of the incidence until the following day because the hotel manager was the Police snitch and informant, coordinating closely with them. The family set out immediately in search of him to all police formations. We got to the Police Communication radio room, from where the anti kidnapping unit was called to inquire of his arrest and detention but they denied outrightly.
Eventually, we proceeded to the anti kidnapping unit at Mini-Okoro Police station at Old Aba road and we were told, that he wasn’t there even when he was there at the time. Our son and brother was transfered from the same anti kidnapping unit on August 10,2024, to the National Cyber Crime Center (NCCC) at Abuja, via a United Nigeria Airline 6:00pm flight. It is pertinent to state that without trial nor conviction, Isaac was placed on handcuffs, beaten and tortured with barely one miserly meal per day at the Mini-Okoro anti kidnapping unit in Port Harcourt.
Officers of the anti kidnapping unit deliberately subjected Isaac to physical and psychological torture, deliberate defamation, libel and all sorts and manner of dehumanization and indignities. At the airport in Port Harcourt, the Nigeria Police men made sure to board Isaac on the aircraft after passengers were fully loaded and made sure to publicly notify the entire aircraft albeit falsely that he was a notorious kidnapper/armed robber. The same show was also put up at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja, where for no reason, the young man was displayed still in handcuffs while the crowds poured by. At the anti kidnapping unit in Port Harcourt and all through the airports, the charge put on him was ; Notorious kidnapper/armed robber. Dramatically, the charge on Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya had miraculously transmuted to; Unlawful possession, leakage of classified documents and cyber related offenses with the change in location. This is a wonder, only the Nigeria Police can pull off. It is however, very worrisome and extremely disturbing that some very bad, corrupt and morally bereft and unfit elements within the Nigeria Police Force anti kidnapping unit made no attempt at pretext, in the crass display of their petty banality and moral emptiness, when in less than 18hours after Isaac’s arrest, some officers were spotted adorning shoes, perfumes, wrist watch and designer clothes carted away from his hotel room. This is beyond basal and should not be condoned nor accepted within the Nigeria Police Force nor in any public establishment within our Country. The laws of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria presumes every citizen innocent until proven guilty but in this case , with every step and action taken, the Nigeria Police Force broke the laws. They treated Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya as guilty until proven innocent. The desecration of the very laws that the Police was established to enforce is only a symptom of the dastardly cancer that has eaten deep into the fabric of our dear nation and must not be allowed to continue. The Nigeria Police Force anti kidnapping unit in connivance with the hotel manager, took away the personal diary of Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya containing the reference phrase, email, password and login details to his cryptocurrency account containing well over twenty thousand, two hundred (27,200) USDT which is approximately forty three million Naira. This is thievery. Thieves and petty looters are now been payed with our tax and Oil money to oppressively loot us with the barrel of the gun. It beats us hollow to note that in this case, the Nigeria Police has turned the laws of the Federal Republic Of Nigeria upside down and proceeded to accuse, detain and victimize an innocent citizen of this country while they try to cook up non-existing evidence. We are disappointed at First Bank of Nigeria for illegally releasing the photograph of Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya through his BVN with First Bank of Nigeria in their haste to tie him to the #PIDOMNIGERIA X account. This gross betrayal of customer confidentiality is highly distasteful and unprofessional and as such, we would urge Nigerians to be careful of doing business with First Bank. The picture gotten from First Bank is what is currently been circulated both on social and mainstream media. OUR DEMAND 1. As Veterans, Leaders, Critical Stakeholders and family members to Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya, we demand that the Inspector General of Police should release him immediately and unconditionally. 2. We further demand that the Nigeria Police Force anti kidnapping unit in Port Harcourt be disbanded with immediate effect for the unmitigated level of thievery and shame they have displayed while thorough investigation is launched against the particular officers involved and the appropriate punishment meted out. We cannot conclude this press briefing without expressing our profound gratitude to Comrade Deji Adeyanju for his legal support and every other person who directly or indirectly have supported our son and brother. We want to use this opportunity to call on the entire Ijaw nation and all well meaning Nigerians to rise up against injustice and abuse of our fundamental rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Sign: Aseme-Warisenibo Emmanuel Bristol-Alagbariya, The Lineage Head of Iminabo Bristol-Alagbariya Royal House of Bonny Kingdom Elder Eneyo Athanasius INC Assistant Secretary 2015 Comr. Success Jack Convener, Niger Delta Activist Forum. Chairman, Ijaw Community Abuja/Northern Nigeria 2020-2022. Elder Gogo Hart Ogbo Leader Kuruama Community. Mr. Hector Cottrell Ijaw Leader/Veteran Comr. Otonye Eremie, Ijaw Leader/Stakeholder Comr. Manson Boma Kelly Dickson. (Niger Delta Leader)
Source: newsweekng
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