By Ononye VC
The Justice, Development and Peace/Caritas (JDPC) Archdiocese of Onitsha on Thursday facilitated and secured through the courts,the release of three persons who were arrested by the police and dumped inside Onitsha Correctional Centre for over 2 years without trial.They were all males.
Trinitas was informed that the three victims were allegedly arrested in different parts of Onitsha by the police for alleged crimes they did not commit following which they were detained in police cells at Onitsha Area Command before they were dumped inside the Correctional Centre,Onitsha and awaited trial for more than two years.
The victims whose names were given as Chibuzo Ibenwa(24),from Arochukwu in Abia State,Chukwuemeka Dibia(48)from Obowo in Imo State and Chinaza Ugwu(32)from Inyi,Oji River,Enugu State,narrated their ordeal to media men,saying they languished in detention for over two years because they had no money to bail themselves from the police after their arrest while over 25 others arrested together with them,paid as much as N40,000 to N100,000 before they were released,for committing no offence.
Speaking on involvement of JDPC, Archdiocese of Onitsha on the matter,the Executive Director of JDPC Archdiocese of Onitsha,Very Rev Fr Edwin Udoye,said the JDPC operates what he called,”Prison Apostolate”,whereby it’s members visit the Correctional Centre regularly to assist inmates stranded on issues pertaining to injustice or inability to secure bail especially those incarcerated unjustly for long.
Fr Udoye took a swipe on the police,saying that their conduct fell short of the ethics of their profession meant to protect the people but turned around to humiliate them.
The JDPC he maintained,is in total support of the police in it’s primary duty of protecting lives and property but not to indulge in illegality or abuse of their profession inorder to make money.
Fr Udoye preached that the judgement of God awaits humans who indulge in injustice against fellow humans and that no sin shall go unpunished.
He had a word for the discharged victims,admonishing them to maintain a just character and never to cheat anyone as they go about their duties.
The hargardly dressed victims were given clothings and financial assistance by the JDPC to enable them transport themselves back to their villages.
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