The House of Representatives has resolved to intervene in the arrest, detention and trial of a member from Rivers State, Farah Dagogo, by the Rivers State Police Command.
The leadership of the House, led by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, is to seek a back-door channel towards securing the lawmaker’s release.
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, had declared Dagogo wanted for allegedly hiring cultists to attack the Peoples Democratic Party’s secretariat in Port Harcourt and disrupting the screening of National Assembly and State House of Assembly aspirants on April 27, 2022.
But Dagogo had faulted Wike and the state police command for labelling him a cultist and declaring him wanted.
A team of policemen, however, arrested the governorship aspirant at the PDP zonal secretariat the following day.
At the plenary on Wednesday, a member of the House, Chisom Dike (APC, Rivers), raised a point of order to move a motion of urgent public importance titled, ‘Unlawful arrest, arraignment and detention of Hon. Dr Farah Dagogo, member representing Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency of Rivers State, a governorship aspirant of Peoples Democratic Party.’
Another member of the House, Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), however, raised a point of order to urge the House not to take Dike’s motion. The lawmaker, who is the leader of the PDP caucus, noted that it is against the rule of the House to legislate on a matter that is already before a court.
In his ruling, Gbajabiamila, pointed out that the parliament could make reference to matters in court but it must not be made in such a way that would be prejudicial.
The Speaker said he agreed with Chinda that the lawmakers should go through a diplomatic and backdoor channel to resolve the matter “rather than heat it up.”
Gbajabiamila, therefore, urged Dike to move his motion without taking sides on the matter.
Moving the motion, Dike, who dumped the PDP for APC in 2021, prayed the House to condemn Dagogo’s arrest, arraignment and detention on the orders of the state government.
Meanwhile, Dagogo’s media aide, Ibrahim Lawal, on Wednesday said the lawmaker was rushed to the Police Hospital in Port Harcourt from detention.
Lawal said Dagogo suffered stomach and chest complications, necessitating his movement to the hospital.
The media aide said following the severity of his case, the Police Hospital referred the lawmaker to an undisclosed hospital within the metropolis.
“Farah Dagogo has been taken to the hospital by the Police. He complained of stomach and chest complications. He is receiving treatment now,” h said.
The media aide also alleged that there was a plot by some agents of the state to ‘manufacture’ sundry charges of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, illegal bunkering and attacks on security agencies, among others, against the lawmaker.
Lawal insisted that some state actors are plotting to attack the State Criminal Investigation Department where Dagogo is being detained to later accuse the lawmaker of being behind the attack.
He said, “All these moves by the government are to continue the unlawful and illegal incarceration of the federal legislator.
“For the umpteenth time, our earlier position stands, Hon Farah Dagogo’s life is still in danger. This time, with that of his families, close friends, associates and his staff, particularly his aides.
“Governor Nyesom Wike and his goons should be held responsible if anything untoward happens to Dagogo and others close to him.”