My husband sick, dying in police cell - Detained Delta newspaper vendor’s wife

The wife of an Asaba-based newspaper vendor, Patrick Onwuaha, popularly known as Ocha, has raised the alarm over his continued detention without stating his offence and despite his deteriorating health condition.

The vendor was arrested on Thursday, May 13, 2021, by the police while plying his trade on the streets of Asaba, the Delta State capital.

His wife, Ngozi, told our correspondent that Patrick was dying in detection and that the command had denied access to him.

She said, “We have been going to the police headquarters and the police did not allow even me the wife to see him. They said that the order to arrest him came from above.

“We have gone to the headquarters with a lawyer, but they did not allow our lawyer to see him and they didn’t state his offence. I also went there with the Chairman of the Newspaper Vendors Association, yet they refused. My worry is that my husband is very sick and dying in police custody.”

A source said Patrick might have been arrested for allegedly selling “Biafra newspapers.”

When contacted, the acting Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Bright Edafe, said he had yet to get the details of the offence for which the vendor was being held.

He said, “As for him being here, what I told you that I’m aware of is what I know, that the man is with the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and I don’t have details of his case for now.

“I am not aware of the issue of the Biafra paper; I don’t know where they got that information from.”