Former presidential aide and lawyer, Okoi Obono-Obla, has narrated what he described as a humiliating and unlawful arrest by the police in Cross River State, days after police said he was detained over alleged forgery and false entry into the legal profession.
In a statement titled “My Ordeal in Police Custody,” posted on Facebook, Mr Obono-Obla said he was arrested on 19 February while walking to meet a relative in Ugep, Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River.
“Suddenly, I saw five vehicles approaching. Three of them were painted in the colours of the Nigeria Police Force, while the other two were Hilux vehicles without police markings. More than ten police officers emerged and, in loud voices, ordered me to enter one of the vehicles,” he said.
“I told them I am a traditional ruler and that they should not treat me in such a shabby and horrible manner. Instead, they shoved me violently and bundled me into the vehicle.”
He said he was handcuffed and taken away by armed operatives without being told the reason for his arrest.
“I requested permission to ease myself as well, but they refused, saying I would have to wait until we reached Calabar. I was compelled to hold myself throughout the three-hour journey,” he added.
Alleges rights violations
Mr Obono-Obla said he was never invited by the police before the arrest and described the operation as unlawful.
“Most importantly, prior to 19 February 2026, the Nigeria Police Force had never invited me—whether verbally, by phone call, or by SMS—to report concerning the matter for which they abducted me,” he said.
“Their actions were carried out in a Gestapo-like manner, reminiscent of Germany during the Third Reich or Nigeria under military rule.”
He said he later learnt that a member of the Cross River State House of Assembly had submitted a petition against him over a matter pending in court.
According to him, a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory had earlier ordered that no similar charge be filed against him without leave of court, following an earlier case in which the police withdrew the charge and the court dismissed it.
Mr Obono-Obla said he was detained from about 11:30 a.m. on 19 February until about 5:00 p.m. the following day.
“This experience was not only humiliating but also deeply troubling, as it disregarded both my traditional status and my fundamental rights,” he said.
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Police insist arrest lawful
Police authorities had earlier maintained that Mr Obono-Obla was lawfully arrested following a petition alleging forgery and fraudulent entry into the legal profession.
The command also dismissed claims circulating on social media that he was abducted, insisting the arrest followed due process and investigations were ongoing.
The conflicting accounts from the police and Mr Obono-Obla have added a fresh dimension to the controversy surrounding the former presidential aide, as the case continues to unfold.