Assault Saga; Man Who Returned CCT Chairman’s Phone Still In Detention, Misses Easter

*The detainee said the police said they can only release him with the approval of the CCT chairman.

The man who gave the Chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Danladi Umar, back his phone after the assault saga between him (Umar) and a security guard at Banex Plaza is still in detention.

Recall that on Thursday 31st March, 2021 Umar was caught on camera physically assaulting a security guard at Banex Plaza in Wuse, Abuja. In a five-minute video that has gone viral online, Mr Danlandi was seen slapping and kicking the security guard, while police officers suspected to be attached to him were trying to restrain him from attacking the guard.

Umar’s phone fell down during the incident and one Peter Onyiuke picked it up and gave same back to Danladi.

An eyewitness, Joshua Luke, told Premium Times Newspaper, not TheNigeriaLawyer, that Mr Umar was probably angered by the tone of Mr Onyuike’s conversation while trying to return his fallen phone to him.

“Onyiuke stood from a distance and looked him in the eye, boldly, and said Oga come get your phone, the man (Mr Umar) who seemed angry, in response to Onyiuke, said ‘ are you talking to me, are you alright? Onyiuke replied, ‘yes, I said come and take your phone if you don’t want to take it, leave it,’ ” Luke said.

He added, “Onyiuke then handed the phone over to a Banex police officer who then gave it to the man (Mr Umar). After the phone was handed over to him, Onyiuke asked him why he did not have the courtesy to thank him. The man asked why he would say ‘thank you’.”

According to Mr. Luke, the CCT chairman began to brag about his position in the country and how he had “dealt with” notable persons (probably a veiled reference to the former CJN and Senate President) in the past.

He added, “The man later started saying many things like he would jail Oyunike for 25 years without trial.

“It was at that point, Onyiuke called his bluff and told him to do his worst as he was not God.

“The man ordered one of the Banex police officers to arrest Onyiuke, but they were reluctant to carry out the arrest due to the familiarity the police officers had had with people at the plaza. The police officer just held him (Mr Onyuike) gently by his trousers and kept warning him to keep quiet.”

He also explained that “Onyiuke did not touch the man. The only thing between them was just the way he spoke to him to come to collect his phone. It was the same phone the man used to call his security details at his home to come to pick up the security guard (Mr Sargwak),” he said.

Many hours later that day, that act of kindness of returning phone was said to have been rewarded with a beating by security agents on the order of Mr Umar, whom eyewitnesses said accused Mr Onyiuke of being rude in his manner of returning the phone.

A lawyer to the owners of the plaza, Samuel Ihensekhien, said the plaza management was on Mr Onyiuke’s case.

“The guy is still in custody, but I am going there to visit him tomorrow (Monday)…

“…It’s either they charge him to a court or they release him on bail. They must release him as they (police) have breached the constitutional provision of 48hrours limit of detention of suspects.” the lawyer said

“I was badly injured in the hands of the SSS agents since Monday I was taken out from the Plaza in custody,” Onyiuke said

He added that he is yet to be told of his offense or basis of his detention but has been told he would not be released without Mr Umar’s instruction.

“I don’t know what I did wrong. Am I being punished for giving a man his phone back? What was my offence for helping him to pick up his phone which I returned?”

“I was even told I would not be released until they (Police) get approval from him (Mr Umar).” he said

A police officer who attended to Mr Onyiuke’s visitors also confirmed the story. He said, “If it was left to me, I would release him for you guys, but it’s out of my power; even if you meet my oga here (the Divisional Police Officer) he would tell you same.

“I don’t like what happened to him, it’s not fair, I must confess.”

Bolaji Samson, the lawyer who was contacted by Mr Onyiuke’s friends, assured that he would be released after the Easter holidays.

“Since it’s a festive period it’s obvious we cannot do much, but we would try to get him bail after the holidays,” he said.

Mr Al-hassan, the CCT’s head of press and media unit, declined to speak when asked on Monday to comment on the allegation that Mr Onyiuke had been held for a week on the tribunal chairman’s order.

The spokesperson for the FCT police command, Mariam Yusuf, could not pick calls nor respond to any of the numerous messages sent to her.