Police whisk man, Godstime Edesiri in Delta, seize his phone ...threaten to charge suspect to court

Policemen from "B" Division, Warri, Delta State yesterday whisked to unknown destination, one Godstime Edesiri, a victim of oppression, intimidation from his residence in Oginibo Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area just as they threatened to charge the  suspect to court.

The victim's arrest is coming after  the Delta State Chapter of the Committee for the Defence of Human Right,CDHR led by Comrade(Elder) A.P. Edariese on Sunday,January 12 urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to prevail on the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda to call on the Divisional Police Officer, DPO "B" Division to return the sum of two hundred and forty thousand naira(240,000) allegedly extorted from one Godstime Edesiri, 

Godstime Edesiri  arrest was done by the Police as they stormed the community, Tuesday January 14 immediately he returned from work as incident left everyone in shock and in a tensed situation and as the time of filling in this report the whereabout of Godstime Edesiri is still unknown. 

The Delta State Chairman of the CDHR, Comrade (Elder) A.P. Edariese at a press conference confirmed that the victim was whisked away by Policemen from "B" Division to unknown destination. 

"It will interest you members of the press that this morning, in order to further emasculate the victim and intimidate CDHR, the DPO sent his officers to Oginibo Village to bundle this helpless young man and they took him away to unknown destination. 

"As l  am speaking, we don't know where the DPO and his men are, with the victim till now. 

"I am sure that the DPO is trying to do some uncanny against this poor Nigerian helpless boy. 

"I want the press to help to echo my voice because it's the only voice of the victim now. The boy needs  to come out of the claws of the DPO. We don't know the plan the DPO has  for this boy so that he does not even tamper with his life in order  to cover the extortion he has done. 

"This is why l am calling on the press to help me and the victim to escalate this information so that the public should be aware of what is happening in "B" Division of the Nigeria Police,Warri today."

Comrade Edariese noted that he addressed a press conference on Sunday,January 12 in a case of alleged oppression, intimidation, harassment, deprivation, extortion and threat to further arrest the victim by the Divisional Police Officer,DPO"B" Division, Warri,CSP Gladness Igwe and his men after the sum of forty thousand naira allegedly collected from him just as they seized his Redmi 3S mobile phone. 

The Octogenarian said the victim was earlier arrested by the Police,"Upon an alleged story that a woman in Warri complained to them that her phone was stolen by unknown thieves and that the thieves after stealing the phone, they used the phone to withdrew money from her account and they withdrew #200,000 from her account and that, they tracked that money to an account of an unknown POS man and through the advertisement of the young man's business in Oginibo and pounced on the poor village boy. A helpless boy, a boy who is trying to eke out life for himself not to live a life  of poverty.

According to him, they pounced on the boy, took him to "B" Division without investigating this matter as the Police did not establish any withdrew of money from the complainant's  account as they did not have the woman's statement with them till on the 6th of January when he  went there to intervene in  the matter. 

"We were able to get the the statement of account of the victim they alleged the money was transferred into and the alleged withdrawal was on 28th October, 2024. 

"We  did not see any #200,000 in the victim's account from 28th October,2024 till January 6th,2025 when we got the statement of account which all showed that the boy did not take part in the offence. And of course, the boy clarified his involvement, yet, after the Police have taken their statement, they forced him to transfer #200,000 from his account,the only money the boy has  in his account by calling on a POS person that's at their service in the station there with them when they're doing extortion from Nigerian citizens. 

"They withdrew that #200,000 from the boy's account and another #40,000 from the boy's account, all in the name of going to release him on bail. 

"After collecting this money, they pinned the boy down again that he should pay another #150,000 that the alleged complainant settled them with  to track the phone that they stole from her and that the boy must pay it so that they can return that #150,000 to the woman before they can release the boy on bail. This was before this matter was reported and I swang I to action since on the 2nd of January this year."

Comrade Edariese said he sent CDHR Officers to approach the DPO to  intervene with a view to resolving  the matter amicably in the interest of justice but he rebuffed. "Even a letter I wrote to him intimating him with the story, the DPO refused to accept the letter. He said he will not take letter from CDHR. Instead, he threatened to charge the boy to court. It's on the basis this,that I addressed the press on Sunday,January, 12."

The Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe is yet to pick calls or reply to a text message and WhatsApp message sent to him by Our Correspondent for confirmation. 

However, a message the PPRO sent to the Delta State CDHR Chairman, Comrade Edariese read thus, "The suspect will be charged to court. There is bank statement indicating that the stolen funds of #200,000 recharge card was transferred to his phone number which led to his initial arrest. He can get a lawyer to defend him in court. Thank you"