Timothy Adegoke: Lawyer Queries Arrest Of Oriyomi Hamzat

The Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba has been warned over the arrest and detention of Oriyomi Hamzat, an Ibadan based broadcaster.

The warning was issued by an Ibadan-based legal practitioner, Barrister Ridwan Adekunle.

Adekunle, who addressed a press conference in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Tuesday, insisted that any further attempt to arrest, detain or harass Hamzat by the police is illegal, unconstitutional and against the provisions of the court.

The owner of Agidigbo FM in Ibadan, Hamzat was arrested by the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) of Nigeria Police Force and taken to Abuja in May last year.

He was arrested over his persistent call for justice in the murder case of Timothy Adegoke, a student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile Ife.

The owner of the hotel where Adegoke was killed, Rahman Adedoyin and his staff were arrested and charged to court.

Hamzat was later released after spending some hours in detention.

Adekunle has, however, called on the Inspector General of Police to call his men to order not to take any further attempts to arrest the broadcaster when a case he (Hamzat) instituted against the police is still in court.

Adekunle, while addressing the press conference at the premises of the radio station on Tuesday in Ibadan, noted that Hamzat has instituted a case against the IGP and six others over his unlawful detention and harassment by the police.

He said that the police again invited Hamzat last Friday, an indication that the police are making another attempt to unlawfully arrest, detain,or harass his client.

Adekunle, while speaking further, maintained that the case against the IGP and six others is still pending at the court of Appeal, hence the police should steer clear of further arrest or intimidation of his client (Hamzat).

“All the parties are required to maintain the status quo.

"Once a case is in court, the parties must maintain the status quo.

"We hereby implore the IGP to call his officers not to arrest Oriyomi Hamzat.

"They should respect the rule of law. They should respect the court.

"They should stop intimidating him. They should stop any further harassment and intimidation."