On Tuesday, January 5 2010, at about 7 am some armed police officers and soldiers led by two local criminals, Edward Uwah and Ethelbert Ugwu, stormed my family compound in Mbaise in Imo state in Southern Nigeria. They arrested me and my aging father. We were detained briefly at the local police station in Ahiazu before we were transfered to the zonal police headquarters in Umuahia. The officers threatened to beat us when we asked them to allow us to clean up and change our clothes. One of the soldiers brought out his gun and threatened to shoot my father when he wanted to make phone calls to alert other family members of our arrest. The police held us throughout the day without giving us food and water.

At the zonal police headquarters in Umuahia, a police officer read a petition by Ethelbert Ugwu who alleged that in September 2009 I with my father, three brothers and one Mr Gregory Iwu conspired, murdered and attempted to conceal the murder of one Mr Aloysius Chukwu who died in September last year. According to family sources, Mr Chukwu died in a local hospital after a brief illness. We made statements in response to the allegations and were later released on bail.

In 2006, a local girl, Daberechi Anomgam, then aged 10, was raped by Edward Uwah(55), a university teacher. Her father filed a complaint with the police, and since 2007 I have been working with the family to ensure that she and her family obtain justice.

But since then, both Edward Uwah and Ethelbert Ugwu, a local criminal, have brought several police actions and framed allegations against me and my family members, Daberechi and her family, and some other members of the community opposed to their criminal schemes. My father, who is over 77 years old and whose health is failing (he is diabetic), has been detained six times at the local and zonal police stations in connection with this case. Two of my brothers have been detained three times and on one occasion in 2008, one of them was beaten and brutalised by soldiers and mobile police officers brought by Ethelbert Ugwu.

Both Ethelbert and Edward have filed three civil suits against me, my family members and Daberechi’s father at three different courts, claiming damages of over 500 million naira ($3.3million). They have written petitions calling for my brothers to be sacked from their jobs and expelled from the college.

The police officers in Ahiazu and Zone 9 in Umuahia have aided and abetted these atrocious and criminal acts by their irresponsible handling of the case and their readiness to arrest and detain anyone as long as they are given some money. On a particular occasion in 2008, my father was arrested by police officers sent by Edward Uwah as he was leaving the court premises after attending a sitting of one of the civil suits also filed by Edward Uwah. The next day I flew from Ibadan and on arriving at the police station I was also detained. I had not known that I was among those accused by Edward Uwa – on this occasion of breaking in and stealing. He alleged that we broke into his house and stole some items, and then scattered some juju and charms on the floor! I was released on bail. The petition ended there. Uwah never produced any witnesses and the police never charged him for providing them with false information.

As a result of my efforts and those of other Humanist and human rights activists in Nigeria and across the world, Edward Uwah is currently standing trial at a local court for indecently assaulting Daberechi. But in order to try to undermine the case, Ethelbert Ugwu managed to have himself appointed as prosecutor! However I got a lawyer to help Daberechi’s family apply for a withdrawal of the fiat, and in November the Director of Public Prosecution in Imo state cancelled the fiat.

Unfortunately the police have refused to arrest and investigate Ethelbert Ugwu despite several petitions against him at Ahiazu and Zone 9 (Umuahia) police stations. The police are part of the problem because most police officers do not carry out their duties with integrity. When it comes to police arrest and investigation in Nigeria three things matter most: money, money and money!
In most cases, police officers carry out their investigation to favour whoever ‘mobilises’ them or gives them a bribe. The way you are treated at police stations is determined by how much you pay or are ready to pay the officers - whether as a complainant or a suspect. And in my community as in other rural communities in Nigeria, most people are poor and cannot afford to bribe the police. Hence criminal minded individuals are having a field day with police officers and soldiers.

This nonsense must stop.

Pressure must be brought to bear on the police authorities in Nigeria to make them stop all acts of harassment, intimidation, illegal detention, and extortion of money from the members of my family and community, including the family members of Daberechi Anomgam. Pressure must be brought on the police authorities so that they carry out their jobs responsibly. They must immediately arrest, investigate and prosecute Ethelbert Ugwu, Edward Uwah and their partners in crime, including the police officers and soldiers whom they have used over the years to raid my community, assault innocent citizens and obstruct justice.

No amount of intimidation, police action, extortion, harassment, legal suits, trumped up charges, fictitious and malicious allegations, petitions against me and my family members will stop me from fighting for justice for this girl child and for humanity at large.

Leo Igwe, Owerri, Imo State, 7 Jan 2010.

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On January 9, Sonja Eggerickx, president of IHEU, wrote the following letter to Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, President of Nigeria, to ask his office to intervene to end the police harassment of Leo and his family. The IHEU request was also sent to the Nigerian attorney general, minister for the police, and the governor of Imo State, where the Igwes live.

H.E. Umaru Musa Yar'Adua
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Office of the President
Aso Rock, Abuja
Nigeria

9 January 2010

Your Excellency,

I am writing as president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) to express my serious concern about the treatment of my Nigerian colleague Leo Igwe. IHEU is an international non-governmental organization with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations and Observer Status with the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. It employs Mr. Igwe as one of its representatives in Africa, working to promote Humanism, human rights and peaceful development in the continent.

Mr. Igwe and members of his family, who all live near Owerri, Imo State, have been subjected to a sustained campaign of harassment by local police involving multiple arrests on trumped up charges since 2007. For example, Leo’s father Oliver Igwe, who is 77 and in failing health, has been arrested six times on false charges since 2007. Two of Leo’s brothers have been detained three times each. Most recently, Leo and Oliver Igwe were arrested on Tuesday, January 5, 2010 and detained at the local police station in Ahiazu before being transferred to the zonal police headquarters in Umuahia. There were threats of violence by the police and the two were kept in harsh conditions that could have proved fatal to Oliver Igwe, who is diabetic. Following protests from around the world, Oliver and Leo Igwe were released on bail. But then on January 8, Leo’s brother Uche Igwe was taken into custody by the State Security Service. He has now also been released.

The ongoing campaign of harassment has been instigated by two wealthy local citizens, Edward Uwah and his associate Ethelbert Ugwu. Mr. Uwah is facing trial for the rape of a ten year old girl, Ms. Daberechi Anongam. Mr. Igwe and his family lead the campaign to bring this horrific case of child abuse to trial.

We therefore urge your Excellency to intervene to ensure that the authorities drop the baseless charges against Oliver and Leo Igwe and end the police harassment of Igwe and his family.

Yours sincerely,

Sonja Eggerickx
President, International Humanist and Ethical Union

cc. H.E. Chief Dr. Ikedi Ohakim, Governor of Imo State
Michael Aondoakaa, Attorney General and Minister of Justice
Dr. Ibrahim Lame, Minister of Police
H.E. Bob Dewar, UK High Commissioner to Nigeria
H.E., Dr Dalhatu Tafida, Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK