TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The family members of Kenneth Opusingi of Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, have expressed worries over the alleged continuous detention of Mr Opusingi by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, despite the ex parte order by the state High Court in Port Harcourt.
The Opusingis and their well-wishers, besieged the High Court when the matter came up, demanding that the military should release him or hand him over to the appropriate authority.
Uche Opusingi, the wife of Kenneth, has cried out to the army to release her husband, who has been in being custody for about a month.
She said her husband was innocent of the charges levelled against him by the Nigerian Army.
On his part, King Hope Opusingi, elder brother to Kenneth challenged the army to obey the court order and release him or hand him over to police, as they (military) did to others.
He maintained that it had never been the practice of the Nigerian Army to continue detaining suspects in custody without trial or handing them over to police.
Mr. Festus Ogwuche, lawyer to Kenneth Opusingi, while speaking after a court sitting in Port Harcourt, said the continued refusal of the 6 Division to release him after the army authorities were served the court order was abnormal.
Justice George Omereji had on March 6, ordered the second respondent in the matter (Army), to release the applicant from its custody unconditionally.
Omereji also restrained the respondents in the matter, the Attorney General of the Federation, army, Inspector General of Police and Director-General, State Security Service, Abuja, from taking further steps in connection with the matter.
Also, he ordered them to maintain the status quo and stay all actions pending the determination of the application for the enforcement of his fundamental rights.
It would be recalled that Kenneth, who is the chairman of Joint Task Force on Petroleum in Rivers State, was arrested in Port Harcourt shortly after the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.