Unpopular Gov. Uzodinma Sets Up New Law That Will Allows Him Detain Anyone At Will

The Imo State Government, under the leadership of Hope Uzodinma, has set up a new law that gives the Governor power to detain anyone he likes at will.

In an analysis cleared by TheCable, the Imo State Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2020 empowers the state governor to detain anyone at his pleasure without the need for a court warrant.

Sections 484 and 485 of the law provide that the governor may effect such detention notwithstanding the provisions of any other law.

The recently signed law, a copy of which TheCable obtained on Friday, does not recognise the need for an arrest warrant for any person who it deems to be “in legal custody”.

Section 484 of the law reads: “Where any person is ordered to be detained during the Governor’s pleasure he shall notwithstanding anything in this Law or in any other written law contained be liable to be detained in such place and under such conditions as the Governor may direct and whilst so detained shall be deemed to be in legal custody.”

Section 485 provides that such person “detained during the Governor’s pleasure may at any time be discharged by the Governor on license” and that “a license under subsection (1) of this section may be in such form and may contain such conditions as the Governor may direct”.

The section further states that such license “may at anytime be revoked or varied by the Governor”, adding: “Where a license has been revoked the person to whom the license relates shall proceed to such place as the Governor may direct and if he fails to do so, may be arrested without a warrant and taken to such place.”