The president of One Love Foundation, a human rights organization based in Benin City has vowed to bring justice to four staff of a former Nigerian minister, Mr Kenneth Gbagi who stripped them naked in his hotel.
Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor, Democracy Observer General in a statement, told journalists that he is wading into the matter which took place on Friday, 18 September, 2020 at Signatious Hotel, Effurun-Warri.
Eholor, who was visibly angry during his address, said the former minister took advantage of his exalted position in the society to abuse the workers, and vowed that until such men and women realize that they are not better than others in the society, they will keep thinking they are untouchable.
His words “We of One Love Foundation are joining other human rights groups to fight against the level of injustice meted out to these four respectable citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Even if they were criminals, who is he to have taken the laws into his hands? To have ordered that the be stripped naked and paraded on the streets? What happened to our sense of humanity? What happened to our sanity? Kenneth Gbagi must be brought to book. Justice must prevail for the four of them.
“I want to assure you all that One Love Foundation is at the moment assembling a team of lawyers to take the matter up and ensure that this man goes down for the crimes he has committed. I am also calling on every Nigerian with a conscience to join us in this fight. Until these men are put in their places, they won’t stop believing that they are untouchable. We will teach him that he is not just touchable, but also convictable. He said he will ruin their lives, he will now realize that he is not God and no one’s destiny is in his hands. and see whose life will be ruined.
“The Kenneth Gbagis of this world must be stopped. Senator Elisha Abbo used his position to intimidate a shopkeeper in Abuja and Nigerians put him in his place. The chairman of Code of Conduct Tribunal, Umar Danladi also abused a common Nigerian because of his privileged position, but we will not rest until we teach him that all men and women are equal.
“Men of the Nigerian Police have not helped matters. In all of these, they have been used against the very people they vowed to protect. All for what? Peanuts. We will not sit back and watch while the ordinary Nigerian is abused and molested, and his rights denied. Justice must prevail”, Eholor said.
Recall that Kenneth Gbagi, ex-Minister of State for Education, ordered for the arrest of four of his Gloria Oguzie, Victor Ephraim, Rosslyn Okiemute and Achibong Precious-working in his hotel to court alleging that they stole N5,000.
But they had denied stealing from the hotel, insisting that they only accepted a tip from a customer.
According to reports, Gbagi, ordered that they be stripped naked and photographed by his 15 year old son inside the hotel before handing them over to the police.
They were photographed and videoed in the presence of police officers, and the video published in the social media.
After dehumanizing the four staff, a male and three females, they were taken to the Ebrumede Police Station to be remanded in custody.
Gbagi further forcefully ordered the withdrawal of all the cash in the bank accounts of the four staff through their ATM cards before the police took them away.
The four staff were charged before a magistrate court sitting in Effurun after four days of detention.
In a five-count charge, the police accused the suspects of conniving among themselves to steal monies ranging from N156,000, N110,000, N5,000 and N2,000 owned by Signatious Hotel and committed an offence punishable under section 516 and 390 (9), of the criminal code Law Cap21C Vol.1 Law of Delta State.