By Brave Dickson
An embattled rights activist, Comrade Owolo Santos Owolo has accused the Ahoada West Local Government Chairman, Hon. Hope Ikiriko of bribing the police in Rivers State to elongate his detention at the Port Harcourt correctional facility.
The activist who regained his freedom on March 10, 2020, told our correspondent that he spent a total of 18 days both in police and prison custody on trump up charges.
He said: “We campaigned and voted for Hope Ikiriko to emerge as Ahoada West LG chairman in 2018 based on his promise to us that he will develop our LGA and make life meaningful for us.
“Two years of Ikiriko’s administration had almost gone without any development in my LGA by him.
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“Through WhatsApp, I reminded Ikiriko of his electioneering promises and he became very angry and asked his aide on social media to abuse me.
“Ikiriko later went ahead to petition me before Ahoada police area command that I defamed his character.
“One sergeant Blessing came to my office and served me police invitation letter.
“I consulted my lawyer, Barr Higher King who advised me to write to the state commissioner of police for the transfer of the case to Port Harcourt because Ahoada police will comprise with Ikiriko.
“Surprisingly, a team of policemen from Ahoada invaded my house on February 22, 2020 at about 3am with two police Hilux and one private vehicle to whisk me away.
“At the Ahoada police station, I reminded the police of my case that has been transferred to Port Harcourt and they told me that they have fresh allegation against me that I called the police ‘zombi.’
“I was later arraigned in court for cybercrime and granted bail with stringent bail condition which could not be perfected that day and I was remanded in prison custody for five days before my bail was perfected.
“The additional days I spent in prison custody was as a result of the bribe that the OC legal collected from Ikiriko to incarcerate him.”
