Concerned kinsmen of a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Sokari Goodboy, who was reportedly arrested by policemen during the Peoples Democratic Party National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja, are calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
The lawmaker was apprehended alongside a PDP chieftain, Ezebunwo Ichemati, both known supporters of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
In a press briefing on Friday, Dr. Reason Onya, a former Commissioner of Urban Development and leader of the ‘Simplified Movement’ group, urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene with the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure the release of the lawmaker, asserting his innocence.
Onya emphasized, “We call upon President Bola Tinubu to promptly request the Inspector-General of Police to release our representative in the State House of Assembly, Hon. Sokari Goodboy Sokari, as he has not committed any offense warranting his degrading arrest. We implore that Abuja, our nation’s capital and symbol of unity, not be transformed into an authoritarian Federal Capital Territory.”
He also demanded an investigation into the arrest and advocated for the identification and punishment of those believed to have orchestrated it in the widely circulated video.
Onya cautioned against any harm coming to the lawmaker and warned that failure to secure his release would prompt legal action from the group.
Similarly, Agni Ezekiel, a former Commissioner for Employment and PDP leader in Engenni, Ahoada West LGA, denounced the arrest, stating that the failure to release their kinsman would lead to protests by the people of Engenni and Ahoada West.
Efforts to contact the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, were inconclusive as calls and messages remained unanswered as of the time of reporting on Friday evening.