ABUJA – The Department of State Services, DSS has released actor, Chiwetalu Agu who was arrested by the service after he was released by the Nigerian Army on 8th of October.
The news of his final release was confirmed by the national president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Ejezie Emeka Rollas.
Chinwetalu Agu’s ordeal began on October 7th when he was rough handled by soldiers at Upper Iweka area in Onitsha, Anambra State for wearing Biafra regalia. He was subsequently taken to their Enugu office where he was later released. His freedom was short-lived as DSS picked him for ‘further investigation’ according to the spokesman of the service.
However, In a statement released on Tuesday evening, Rollas said the guild has yet again secured the actor’s release.
The statement reads: “On behalf of the Guild, I was at the DSS office with my colleague, the Senior special Assistant on Military Affairs and Inter Governmental Relations to the AGN President Steve Eboh to receive Mr. Agu today.
“The elated veteran Actor thanked God for surviving the ordeal and commended the leadership of the Actors Guild of Nigeria headed by Ejezie Emeka Rollas for their relentless efforts in securing his release from the detention.”
However, human rights lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has said that the DSS released the veteran Nollywood actor after a rigorous search of his phones.
According to the lawyer, the secret police didn’t find anything incriminating on the actor’s phones.
Ozekhome made this revelation in a statement on Tuesday shortly after the secret police released the actor from its headquarters in Abuja.
In his statement titled, ‘Chiwetalu Agu Released By DSS’, Ozekhome said his client argued that he had committed no known offence, as he was merely wearing an attire with the rising sun and distributing N10,000 worth of bread he had bought, to the poor and less-privileged.
The lawyer said his chambers took up the case after being briefed by the Actors Guild of Nigeria.
“Several interactions were held by the chambers with the DSS operatives, who were, however, very civil and very cooperative.
“Agu was released this (Tuesday) evening to Steve Eboh and Monolisa Chinda (Director of Media, Actors Guild of Nigeria), by the DSS at their headquarters in Abuja, after a careful search on his phones showed nothing incriminating.”
While he was in DSS custody, many Nigerians had condemned Agu’s arrest and accused the DSS of ethnic profiling for going after the actor who allegedly wore Biafran colours while controversial Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, continues to mingle with bloodsucking bandits while the security agents looked the other way. (Journalist101)