The Department of State Services (DSS) has detained Iteveh Nur’ Ekpokpobe, an anti-corruption campaigner from the Niger Delta, and his attorney, Onyishi Chukwuemeka, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
According to SaharaReporters, journalist Ekpokpobe and his attorney, Chukwuemeka, were arrested on February 4 on suspicion of receiving orders from Gbenga Komolafe, the former CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC).
The DSS agents who broke into the activist’s Abuja home allegedly pretended to be from the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) office in Abuja, but it was later found that they were actually working for the fired NUPRC leader.
According to SaharaReporters, the activist and his attorney were arrested for what the DSS called “cyberbullying,” which has been widely denounced.
Narrating the arrest of the activist to SaharaReporters, one of the allies of Ekpokpobe who witnessed the arrest but pleaded not to mentioned, said Ekpokpobe’s arrest is allegedly been sponsored by the former Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Komolafe, adding that “Komolafe is using his closeness with the Director General of the DSS to intimidate and deal with Ekpokpobe and his lawyer.”
According to our source, “Iteveh Nur’ Ekpokpobe, is a Pan Niger Delta Activist and anti-corruption crusader had before now organised anti-corruption protests against corrupt individuals and government officials in and outside Abuja. But his current arrest and detention by the DSS in Abuja has to do with a recent intensive calls for the probe of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission by a coalition of Civil Society Organisations convened by Iteveh Nurudeen Ekpokpobe.
“The calls actually led to the eventual sacking of Chief Executive of the Nigerian Upstream Regulatory Commission, (NUPRO), Gbenga Komolafe followed with the appointment of Ms Oritsemuyiwa Eyesan as the new Chief Executive of the NUPRC.
“The erstwhile commission chief executive, Komolafe was accused of perpetuating disturbing patterns of corruption, regulatory abuse, asset manipulation, and revenue concealment within the NUPRC during his tenure. The coalition said these actions allegedly deprived the Federation of monumental revenues at a time of severe fiscal constraints. Among the allegations outlined were claims of deliberate misrepresentation and concealment of producing oil and gas assets, including Oil Mining Leases (OMLs) 119, 129, 113, and 31, as well as Oil Prospecting Licences (OPLs) 2005 and 2006.
“The coalition alleged that these assets were officially classified as non-existent or non-producing, resulting in estimated revenue losses exceeding $20billion from crude oil sales, gas monetisation, royalties, and taxes. Fraudulent manipulation involving OPL 227 and OML 146, claiming that acreage was unlawfully reduced without due process, leading to the disappearance of substantial petroleum-bearing areas. Similar allegations were raised concerning OMLs 33, 46, and 74, where the coalition claimed that significant portions of acreage were concealed, allegedly costing the Federation billions of dollars in potential revenue.
“Since his arrest, he has been held incommunicado, with no official confirmation of his condition or whereabouts. His counsels who sought to represent him, have been denied access, despite repeated requests. Seven days after the arrest, the DSS has refused to grant him access to a phone call or allow him meet with his lawyers. As a result, his family and associates remain in the dark, relying only on unverified assurances that he is okay, with no independent confirmation of whether he is alive or well. The cyber bullying is the allegation filled by Gbenga Komolafe, former Chief Executive of NUPRO, who is using his influence and friendship to the DG of DSS to keep the activist detained.
“While we condemn in its entirety the illegal arrest and detention of Iteveh Nur’ Ekpokpobe and his lawyer, Onyishi Chukwuemeka. We are calling on the DSS to without any further delay release them unconditionally or better still hand them over to the police authority empowered to prosecute cyber bullying to charge them to court,” the source stated.
Meanwhile, the families of Ekpokpobe and that of his lawyer Chukwuemeka have condemned the arrest and detention of their sons, describing it as illegal and calling for their immediate unconditional release.
