Jonathan’s ex-CSO denied medication, food, water— family

The detained ex-Chief Security Officer to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Gordon Obua, has complained of being denied his medications despite being diabetic and hypertensive.

Prsident Jonathan

In a statement issued on his behalf by his lawyer, Mr. Onochie Onwuegbuna, he complained about the conditions under which he was being detained.

He also asked for Obua’s unconditional release. Onwuegbuna alleged that his client was being witch-hunted as part of a plan against “marked” individuals, who served and held offices in the Jonathan administration “to implicate them for phantom crimes or offences.”

Although he said Obua had been denied food and water, it was learned that he was on a hunger strike to protest his being held in solitary confinement.

His lawyer in the statement said: “We have been briefed and our services retained by the family of Mr. Gordon Obua, Chief Security Officer to former President Goodluck Jonathan, in respect of his present harassment and detention by Department of State Services, DSS.

“Has been in detention without being informed what offence (if any) he is alleged to have committed or the reason for his detention. Our client is hypertensive and diabetic to the knowledge of his employers, the DSS.

Our client has also been denied access to members of his family, his doctor and his lawyers and even more worrisome is the information obtained by his family that he has not eaten or drank water ever since he was detained.

“The actions of DSS constitute gross violation of his fundamental rights to respect for the dignity of his person and personal liberty as guaranteed by Sections 31 and 35 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”