CLO’s secretary (Civil Liberties Organisation), Bayelsa State chapter, Mr. Timi Igoli, was severely injured after he was reportedly attacked at a mobile phone shop by one Pastor Robert Gwegwe,  on May 29, 2017.

Timi was reportedly stabbed with a pen, following a minor argument between the two, with his  right eye seriously affected after the incident.

However the CLO has expressed anger at the incident as well as the alleged poor handling of the matter by the police, after the incident was reported at Ekeki Police Division in the state capital.

The CLO in a protest letter sent to the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, accused the police of allegedly shielding the accused pastor from prosecution.

The CLO stated, “We have discovered that some of the officers at Ekeki Division have compromised and started shifting the case from one person to another. In the process, Igoli was being pressured to accept money in the presence of six relations of the detained Pastor but he rejected the offer.

The victim had to consult his lawyers and filed a petition before the state Commissioner of Police.”

The CLO said that after the petition, the Commissioner of Police in the state directed that the case be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department.

Punchng reports that the organisation lamented that since the commissioner’s directive, a certain policeman at the station, had refused to hand over the case file since June 1, 2017, as ordered.

The CLO added, “We wish to bring to the notice of the IGP Idris that the order given by the Commissioner of Police that the case be transferred to the SCID has not been complied with because of ‘vested interest’ of an officer for about three weeks.

We urge the IG to call on the Commissioner of Police to effect the order forthwith and order the police officer, who is aiding and abetting his friend, Pastor Gwegwe, to be ethical and professional in carrying out his job.”