Despite meeting his bail conditions, Nnamdi Emeh, who exposed an organ trafficking ring in the Anambra State Command of the Nigeria Police Force is in incarceration.
27-year-old Emeh was arrested and detained in 2023 while he was still a National Youth Service Corps member..
SaharaReporters learnt that though his release warrant has been signed since May 15, 2024, court officials have been frustrating his release.
Similarly, in October 2023, Nnamdi Emeh petitioned the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja over his continued incarceration despite being granted bail.
Emeh in the petition dated October 3, 2023, through his Counsel, Justus Ijeoma accused the Deputy Chief Registrar, Federal High Court in Awka, Nkem Mba, of alleged “unprofessional conduct” in processing his bail because his family could not pay N1 million she allegedly demanded as gratification to process the bail.
Nnamdi Emeh was apprehended in connection with a blog post published by Gistlover, a well-known online platform, which alleged that Patrick Agbazue, a police officer in Anambra, was involved in extortion, abduction, murder, and organ harvesting.
He was accused of running the blog and exposing the atrocities perpetrated by police personnel at the Rapid Response Squad Annex, Akwuzu, formerly known as SARS Awkuzu.
The police brought 12 charges against Nnamdi, including possession of firearms, money laundering, defamation of character and unlawfully transferring N47 million from someone’s account into another account.
However, on Thursday, June 27, 2024, SaharaReporters learnt from one of his relations that he was still being detained despite meeting his bail conditions.
“They have continued to incarcerate the corps member that was accused of running Gistlover blog and exposing the atrocities at the defunct Awkuzu SARS despite meeting his bail conditions,” the family source said.
“Even though his release warrant has been signed by the presiding judge, for some reasons the court officials do not want to take the release warrant to the correctional service.”
Nnamdi Emeh is at Ekwulobia prison in Anambra State, SaharaReporters was told.
SaharaReporters also learnt that the judge signed the release warrant for Nnamdi on May 15, 2024.
Last October, in his petition to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nnamdi Emeh accused the Deputy Court Registrar of demanding N1 million to process his bail.
Titled: “A Petition Against the Deputy Chief Registrar, Awka Division of the Federal High Court. Re: Charge No. FHC/AWK/C/60/2023, The Inspector General of Police Vs. Emeh Nnamdi Daniel,” the whistleblower who had been in detention for long, from various police cells to prison, alleged that Mba was deliberate in refusing to process his bail after meeting all the conditions the trial judge, Justice F. O. Riman, imposed.
The petition read, “We are counsel to the defendant in the above-mentioned case, who is in custody, and by whose instruction and consent we write to Your Lordship. We shall hereinafter, where the context permits, simply refer to him as the defendant.
“The defendant, a serving youth corper with the Anambra State Police Command, was arraigned on a 12-count charge bothering on, among other things, “making false publications against the OC Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS” and “stealing” before my lord, Hon Justice F. O. Riman, on April 25, 2023.
“Consequently, the defendant was admitted to bail by the court on May 17, 2023.”
It also noted that all necessary terms for bail were promptly followed up and met, but the DCR (Mba) had frustrated all efforts made.
“The unfavourable disposition of the DCR started when she, sometime in May 2023, when we commenced the process of perfecting the bail of the defendant, had demanded that we should pay her the sum of one million Naira (N1,000,000.00) as the bail processing fees.
“We refused and told her that the defendant’s family does not have such money to pay and that such payment does not form part of the order of the court. Since then, she has been acting in the most unprofessional ways towards the process of perfecting the defendant’s bail. The circus of delay has continued without any respite in sight.
“Wherefore, we pray my Lord to direct that this matter be investigated with a view to curbing corruption and bringing the unscrupulous to justice. We cannot allow the DCR to continue as if attaining any position in public service is a license to act at one’s whims and caprices. Thank you, my noble lord, in anticipation that this petition will receive your kind judicial attention in the interest of justice,” the statement continued.
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the court granted the whistleblower bail and while he was yet to meet the stringent bail conditions, the police were already planning to re-arrest him on the court premises.
It had been reported that the police on May 12, 2023 arraigned Emeh, before a Federal High Court in Awka, on 12 counts charge, accusing him of committing crimes alleged to have violated several regulations and laws.
Emeh pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court later admitted him to bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.
Sahara Reporters
