By CrossRiverWatch Admin
The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) is again in the news over the death of a prominent son of Henshaw Town, Chief Lawrence Henshaw in Calabar South LGA of Cross River State, Nigeria.
The family, through their lawyer, Marcus Ogbuji in a letter addressed to the AIG Zone 6 Calabar, appealed to the Police to investigate the matter “to prevent loss of more lives.”
According to the petition which was sighted by this paper, the family accused the NSCDC for offering themselves as a willing tool in the hands of the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to harass and kill principal members of the Pharmaceutical Technologists and Pharmacy Technicians of Nigeria Council of Nigeria in a manner suggestive of being compromised.
It says on the 23rd of November, 2019, a team of officers from the NSCDC invaded the residence of Chief Lawrence Henshaw, manhandled and dragged the octegenarian to their Calabar head office. And detained him in their facility even when the subject matter was still pending in Court. Tony Ukam, said the NSCDC action was a clear disregard to Court process.
The family said the NSCDC officers made the release of Chief Henshaw almost impossible by putting up stringent bail conditions.
According to sources when members of the the late octegenarian’s family and notable lawyers led by Prof. Tony Ukam, visited the office of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Commandant, Elijah Danjuma bluntly refused to see them.
On 5th of February, 2020 the Command filled a charge in the name of the Attorney General of the federation against the Chief on what Prof. Ukam called “spurious allegation”.
According to family sources, while Chief Henshaw was still trying to recover from the ill treatment meted out to him, officers of the NSCDC again in a commando style, invaded his house, shooting sparodically into the air and whisked the 78 years old away almost naked.
All pleas to release the old man on health grounds proofed abortive as they placed as some of his bail conditions, two surties, with the bond of 2million naira each, a landed property, must be at a directorate cadre at the Federal Civil Service, who must also posses a statutory right of occupancy of their landed properties. The lawyer said after the Court granted him bail, the old man managed to get home and slumped that evening and was rushed to the hospital.
He died few days after that. His family alledges that he may have been poinsoined while in detention.
Independent finding revealed that the octegenarian was kept away in a separate cell away from other suspects. When this reporter asked the NSCDC Commandant, Elijah Danjuma, he confirmed that the late Chief was kept in a separate cell out of “respect for his age” an assertion Prof. Ukam dismissed as laughable.
“A man they arrested like a common criminal, they are talking about respect?” He querried.
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