Our client coughing blood, may die in Ikoyi Prison, lawyers tell IGP

A law firm, Deji Adeyanju & Partners, has alerted the Inspector General of Police (IGP) about the deteriorating health condition of their client, Mr Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele, who has been detained since March 19, 2024, at the Nigeria Correctional Centre (NCC), Ikoyi, Lagos State.

According to the law firm, Ofoegbu, who has been detained at the instance of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) over a purely civil dispute, is gravely ill and coughing up blood, with no medical facilities available to restore his health within the Ikoyi prisons.

Updating journalists on the matter on Wednesday in Abuja, Silas Onwugbonu, Esq. of Deji Adeyanju & Partners, expressed fear that their client may die if not given access to medical facilities.

He urged the IGP to direct his officers to respect court orders and desist from further persecution of their client.

Onwugbonu said, “A few days ago, our attention was drawn to the fact that our client, who is currently detained at the NCC Ikoyi, Lagos State, is gravely ill.

“Our client’s health condition has deteriorated to the point of coughing up blood, with no medical facilities available to restore his health within the NCC, Ikoyi.

“It will be recalled that in furtherance of its desire to perpetually keep our client in detention, the Nigeria Police Force has filed three pending identical charges FHC/ABJ/CR/159/2024; INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE V CHIZOROM HARRIS OFOEGBU; FHC/L/312C/2024; INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE V CHIZOROM HARRIS OFOEGBU; and FHC/AWK/CR2024: INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE V CHUKWUKA CHIZOROM OFOEGBU, against our client at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Lagos, and Awka, all at the instance of the same coalition of nominal complainants, and for the same alleged civil dispute.

“On June 14, 2024, the Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos, granted our client bail, following the spirited legal intervention of our revered learned silks, Femi Falana, SAN, and Funmi Falana, SAN.

“However, in order to frustrate the bail granted to our client, officers of the Nigeria Police Force immediately went to NCC Ikoyi and attempted to forcefully transfer him to Awka, Anambra State, on the basis of an alleged criminal summons.

“It is on this note that we are constrained to state that the action of the Nigeria Police Force against our client has moved beyond criminal prosecution to persecution.

“The Nigeria Police Force must refrain from making itself available as an interventionist in civil disputes between citizens.

“As our client’s health continues to deteriorate by the hour, we call on the Inspector General of Police to direct his officers to respect court orders and desist from further persecution of our client, who enjoys constitutional presumption of innocence. A dead defendant cannot stand trial.”