By Our Reporter
A lady who identified herself as Mrs. Hope Clever Onis in Delta State has cried out that she does not know the whereabouts of her husband since he was forcefully allegedly arrested by some Army Officers from 3 Battalion Army Effurun on 22nd of August, 2025.
Narrating her ordeal to Bailout Magazine on Thursday, 11th day of September, 2025, she said on that fateful day, she got a call in Orhuwhorun by Cross and Stop in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, that her husband has been arrested by the Police. According to her, she made calls to know the whereabouts of her husband but the line was busy. She decided to send a text message to know that she was the one calling, yet, no reply.
She further said, while she was confused of where to go, in three days’ time, some officers brought the husband to their house and searched the entire house but nothing incriminating found. When they were done, they took the husband’s Amnesty Card, National ID Card and snapped their marriage photograph on the wall. Her words: “By three days’ time, they took my husband to our house to search it. They searched everywhere: raised the chairs, they did not see anything.”
According to Mrs. Hope Clever Onis, as they were about to take her husband away, she found out the offence the husband has committed and the destination they were taking the husband to. It was then, they told her that if she wants to see the husband, she should come to 3 Battalion Army Barracks Effurun, Delta State. With this information, she went to 3 Battalion Army Effurun and pleaded to be allowed to see her husband. It was then, they brought out her husband and found out from him the offence for which he was arrested to 3 Battalion Army Effurun. The husband said, they (officers) to never told him why he was arrested.
According to her, she then asked them of the offence the husband had committed that warranted his arrest and she was told that, they were under instruction from Asaba, the state capital. She was told that when the people who ordered the arrest come from Asaba, she would hear from them the offence the husband has committed adding, since that very day, she has been going there( 3 Battalion Army Barracks Effurun) to give her husband food. Her words:” They said the arrest did not come from them, that the arrest came from Asaba. They said if the people come, they will inform us- they will explain what my husband has done (committed) and since then, l have been going there to give my husband food”.
According to her, in one of the visits, she met one of the Army officers whose name is Oluwarotimi Sadiq Sgt. that the husband is kept in his custody and tried to find out the offence the husband had committed. The officer in question said, he himself is not also aware but acting on instruction from his boss. According to Mrs. Hope Clever Onis, it was there, the Sadiq Sgt. placed a call across to his boss that the wife of the man (Clever Onis) arrested was around and the officer was mandated to take her phone number and she gave them. She was told to go home that when the people whose under instruction the husband was arrested come, she would be duly informed to hear what the husband had done that wanted his arrest.
According to her, each time she called Sadiq Sgt, she would always been assured that the husband was fine. She said, she was told that the husband was taken to the hospital to take care of his BP that was always high and the ulcer he has been suffering from to ensure the husband was in good health condition.
She said, in further search to know the offence the husband has committed, she met one of the officers who told her that, the officers are in search of some people who they alleged the husband knows about. They could not however disclose the names of such persons. According to her, there was a twist of event as one day, on getting to 3 Battalion Army Effurun, the husband was not found as she was told the husband had been taken to Igbuzor near Asaba. She went to the place which they claimed he was, she didn’t find the husband there. According to her, Human Rights Activist, Comrade Jonathan Giama ,the Chairman, Committee for the Defence of Human Right, Delta State branch went to the same place: Army Base in Igbuzor near Asaba and also went to 63 Army Brigade, the husband was nowhere to be found. She said, it was done on her that they were deceiving her. She is now calling on the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion Army Barracks Effurun, State Security, Services, Delta State Governor, and Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and well-meaning Nigerians to wade into the matter as she does not know the whereabouts of her husband.
Commenting on the development, Human Rights Activist and Chairman, Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) Delta State branch, Comrade Jonathan Giama said, he is very much aware of the matter. According to him, he has been to 3 Battalion Army Barracks Effurun several times where he met one of Head of Department (HOD) Intelligence Officers Military Police. They have refused to tell him why Mr. Clever Onis was arrested. According to him, he told them the implications of detaining Mr. Clever Onis beyond necessary. He further told them that since the people whose instructions he was arrested were not coming, he would take him on bail pending when the people would come, then, he(Clever Onis) would be produced to answer the necessary questions if any.
According to him, they agreed with him and asked him to come on Thursday, last week. He said he was surprised to learn that Mr. Clever Onis has been taken to somewhere- Army Brigade in Igbuzor. According him, based on such information from Sadiq Sgt. and the HOD Intelligence. He also went to the 63 Brigade Army Barracks, Asaba, but Mr. Clever was not there and at this moment, the whereabouts of Mr. Clever Onis is unknown. He therefore called on the relevant agencies including the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori to intervene in the matter. All attempts to reach the Commanding Officer, 3 Battalion Army Barracks Effurun for his comment over the matter proved abortive at the time of filling in this report.