Borno PDP Governorship aspirant appeals for the release of his wife, says she lost her pregnancy in police custody

The Borno State 2019 PDP Gubernatorial Aspirant, Comrade Grema Terab has called for the immediate release of his wife, Hajiya Saadatu Muhammad, who was arrested and detained by the police for 17 days with no charges yet.

21 other family members were also arrested after a political meeting in Maiduguri on Sunday 15th April, 2018.

Comrade Terab was former Executive Chairman, Borno State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA under the administration of Governor Kashim Shettima.

Grema, who made the call while speaking to newsmen in Maiduguri last Sunday, said that the presiding Magistrate, Justice Binta Othman, repeatedly denied her bail despite the Police and Borno Ministry of Justice continually flaunted her orders.

According to Terab, the arrest happened following an alleged disturbance by some miscreants who came to his premises to attack people over one hour after a successful completion of a meeting between him and his political supporters.

He said that his wife, who, despite being heavily pregnant, was taken away by the police amidst pleas from family members present.

Terab also revealed that his wife subsequently lost her pregnancy on Monday while in police detention due to her maltreatment and careless handling by men of the force.

The entire incident, he said, appeared to be a clear set up to smear his image by some political enemies who claim that he organized a meeting where a person was stabbed.

He noted that the move was probably due to the fact that some politicians were increasingly getting uncomfortable with his rising profile in the state.

“I am at a loss as to why my wife was arrested by the police nearly two hours after a successful completion of a meeting with my political associates in which the police themselves were present to provide security.

“It is even more surprising that the same police that provided security during the meeting later came back to arrest my wife after we had completed and dispersed from the venue of meeting.

"I was the one that alerted the police about the disturbance but yet they chose to arrest my wife who has now lost her pregnancy. They want to even make it seem as if they advised me against the meeting. This is false and very painful,” Grema said.

Terab added that the continued detention of his wife and family members for over 10 days by the Borno state command of the Nigerian Police Force over trumped up allegations was illegal, especially as those involved in the incident have been arrested by the police.

He further appealed to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim Idris, to quickly intervene by directing the Borno State Commissioner of Police, CP Damian Chukwu to release his wife, Hajiya Saadatu Mohammed and all those arrested by the Police at his residence.

Terab explained also that he had also decided to take the issue to the headquarters of PDP and also head to court to effect his wife’s release. He also accused some politicians in Borno state of trying to silence opposition despite the failure of governance in the state.

“We will not be deterred by the antics of those who think that they can use state apparatus to intimidate and silence opposition to the misrule and injustice in our country,” Terab said.

Meanwhile, other relatives and friends have taken to Facebook to start a #freeSa' a ampaaign..