Secret Reporters No place to hide
President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a lawyer, who was arrestedMonday by the Department of State Security (DSS) over his running battle with the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung has embarked on hunger strike for fear of his life.
A statement signed by Ikenga’s elder brother, Obinna Ikeagwuonu noted that the Ikeagwuonu family is worried over the health and safety of their son who they say have refused to eat or drink anything provided by the DSS since the DSS barred his family from bringing him food.
“This is the fifth day now and Ikenga, an ulcer patient is yet to eat any food. The DSS have denied him all his fundamental human rights. His family, his lawyer and his doctor have been barred from seeing him. By this we wish to inform the public that the DSS and their ally, Solomon Dalung may have concluded plans to either poison the youth leader or starve him to death.”
The Imo state-born youth leader was arrested following petition authored by the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Barr. Solomon Dalung who the council under Ikeagwuonu indefinitely suspended from the Board of the National Youth Council of Nigeria and had gone further to ask President Muhammadu Buhari to summarily sack him as Minister.
The statement also reads in part, “Ikenga was also alleged to be working with people the state is not happy with. If these people who the state is not happy with refer to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, then Ikenga has no apology for his captors. Ikenga would boldly stand by Saraki and will not deny because of acts of intimidation and oppression by the state.”
According Obinna Ikegwuonu, Ikenga’s lawyers recently initiated contempt proceedings against Mr. Dalung and instead of the Minister to go to court, he is using his office and institutions of State to attempt to intimidate him.”
The family stressed that the DSS, Dalung and their sponsors should be held responsible if anything untoward thing befalls Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere.
