Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has offered a detailed narration of what he describes as mistreatment by officials of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) during his recent arrest.
Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, December 6, Mr. Kpebu said the manner in which the officers handled him was unnerving, leaving him emotionally unsettled even days afterward.
“I’m still a bit traumatised,” he revealed, noting the lingering psychological impact of the encounter.
He accused the OSP personnel of acting in an aggressive and unprofessional manner, explaining that their approach to his arrest constituted a violation of his rights.
“The tone they used and the way the entire process was carried out were completely out of order,” he said.
He added that he expected law-enforcement personnel to adhere to proper procedure rather than resort to actions that could intimidate a citizen.
Describing how he was taken into custody, Mr. Kpebu said he was shocked by how abruptly the officers moved in. Though he refrained from sharing every detail, he maintained that he felt overpowered and unfairly handled.
“It happened so quickly, and the treatment was rough. As someone who respects the law, I felt violated,” he said, stressing that such conduct weakens public confidence in state institutions.
Responding to the OSP’s claim that he verbally abused its officers, Mr. Kpebu insisted the accusation is false, arguing that the officers were the ones who behaved abusively. He said the OSP’s statement misrepresented the incident in an effort to defend their actions.
Despite what he described as an ordeal, Mr. Kpebu said he remains determined and will not be intimidated from speaking out on national issues.
“If this can be done to me as a lawyer, then ordinary citizens are even more at risk,” he cautioned.
He called for an independent inquiry into the episode to ensure that state agencies respect the rights and dignity of the public.
