Alleged assault: Women CSO wants Innoson’s wife to seek legal action against EFCC

Women’s Situation Room Nigeria have called on the wife of Chief Innocent Chukwuma to seek legal redress in court over alleged assault on her by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The call followed the alleged assault on Mrs Chukwuma by EFCC in a bid to arrest her husband the Chairman/Managing Director of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing (IVM) last Tuesday in Enugu.

Reacting to the action of the EFCC from a gender perspective, the National Coordinator of Women’s Situation Room Nigeria, Joy Ada Onyesoh said the wife of Chukwuma noted with concern the situation of harassment and intimidation by law enforcement agencies and called for collective actions.

Onyesoh stated that her group will reach out to Mrs. Chukwuma to encourage her to seek legal action to serve as a deterrent.

He said, “People are already looking up to her to take action against EFCC”, she said.

She expressed regrets that the alleged assault on Mrs Chukwuma was downplayed but said they were happy that she has already made a public outcry on how she was humiliated and slapped by the security operatives.

“We note with great concern the impunity with which law enforcement and security agencies harass, intimidate and assault citizens of Nigeria all in the name of carrying out their “duties”.

We make specific reference to the recent activities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the harassment of Chief Innocent Chukwuma and Assault on Mrs Chukwuma.

“It is alarming that the representatives of the EFCC could slap the wife who in no way posed any threat to their illegal activity in her family home. Aside the physical assault, the physiological trauma that the couple were subjected to cannot be overemphasized.

“It is therefore critical that at this point, we rise up to condemn the actions of the EFCC and to demand that they be held accountable for their actions.

A crime against one in Nigeria is a crime against all. We cannot continue to condone the indiscriminate abuse of our fundamental human rights. We commit to ensure that we would continue this public outcry against the EFCC until justice is done”, she stated.

By Moses Oyediran, Enugu