HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER, FEMI FALANA COMES TO HER RESCUE

PHOTO CREDIT: SAHARA REPORTERS

On the 29th of October I featured a story on the alleged imprisonment of the Mrs Clara Chime, the Wife of Enugu State Governor.
I was of the opinion that the claim for the cry for help from a said Mrs Clara could not be substantiated to be from her. However,it is beginning to look like the said story is infact true.
Mrs Chime has engaged the services of a Renowned Human Rights Lawyer, Bar. Femi Falana, who has asked the Inspector General of Police to ensure the immediate release of the unlawful detention of Mrs Chime, who is being held hostage at the Government House against her will or be dragged before a court of law.


In a letter released on the 1st of November, Bar falana made it vividly clear that his client has being kept incommunicado in solitary confinement for over four months now on the directive of the Governor her husband.

“Thus our client’s fundamental rights to the dignity of her person, personal liberty, fair hearing, private and family life and freedom of movement guaranteed by the Constitution and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 have been violated without any legal justification,” it said. 

“Although our client’s dehumanizing detention conditions have had deleterious effects on her psychological state as well as her mental and physical health she has been denied access to her doctors by her abductors,” the petition said.  “It is particularly disturbing to note that some of the police and state security service personnel assigned to secure the safety of the Enugu State governor, his wife and other family members have aided and abetted Mr. Chime in subjecting our client to egregious infringements of her aforesaid fundamental rights.”

This is indeed a sad story as the Governor's motive cannot be ascertained. No matter what the situation is I think she has a right to her freedom and I urge the Governor to make a public statements as regards the turn of events. SIlence at this time would do no further good to his reputation and the State at large.