Cole told journalists on Saturday in Port Harcourt that the arrest of his lawyers was a “rude awakening.”
By Jeffrey Agbo
The APC’s governorship candidate in Rivers State for March 18 poll, Tonye Cole, has decried the arrest of three of his lawyers filing proceedings at the election petition tribunal to challenge the outcome of the governorship election.
The lawyers attached to the chambers of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Tuduru Ede, were arrested on Friday night at a hotel where they lodged in Port Harcourt.
The arrest came 48 hours after Cole led the party executive to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission to protest its refusal to release Certified True Copies of documents used during the election, which would aid the party to proceed to the tribunal.
Cole told journalists on Saturday in Port Harcourt that the arrest of his lawyers was a “rude awakening.”
He alleged that five support staff of the party were also arrested by the operatives and that materials belonging to the lawyers were taken.
Narrating the incident, he said, “I was woken up this morning with a frantic call about 7am, that our lawyers and support staff have been arrested and taken away from the hotel where they lodged.
“By the time I rushed down to the hotel, they were already gone.
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“I was told they were taken to the Intelligence and Surveillance Unit in Ogbunabali (Port Harcourt).
“I and the party agent and our lead counsel went there, and we were kept for over an hour, we didn’t see them, only to be told that they’ve been transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department.
“I have never heard of lawyers preparing a petition that is time-bound, being arrested. More worrying is that all our evidence was taken away.
“Now, can we trust that evidence when we get it back? The lawyers were writing their brief before they were taken away. Now, the opposition knows exactly what we want to argue. I am in shock.”
Cole insisted he would not leave until his lawyers are released.
He said, “I am not leaving this place today until they are released. These are lawyers legitimately preparing their petitions. We cannot go to the Tribunal and tell them we didn’t meet the date because our lawyers were arrested.”
He appealed to the Inspector General of Police to call the State Command to order and stop the police from being used for political gain.