ONYINYECHI Uzomah, the wife of staff of the Orient FM/Television Station, owned by the Imo State Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) Casmir Chinonye Uzomah, has cried out to the government of Imo state and the Department of State Services (DSS) to free her husband.
The DSS reportedly picked up Casmir on August 4 for playing a song deemed ‘”offensive” to the governor.
“They should please free my husband. I am not working, and my children need to go to school.
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“My husband, Casmir was arrested on August 4 by the DSS in Imo, They said he played a song that was abusing the governor. I have not seen him since then,” the mother of five said.
Casmir, a staff in the technical department of Orient Fm/Television, a station under the Imo Broadcasting Corporation, left home on that very day hoping to return to his family but has not returned since then.
He was arrested after playing a Bongo music whose lyrics were deemed offensive to the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma.
“My Sister-in-law called me on that day and told me that they have arrested my husband.
“She said I should take care of the children. His phone has not been going since then,” she said.
According to Onyinyechi, Casmir’s elder sister went to the DSS office, but she was not allowed to see him, “They didn’t allow anybody to see him,” she added.
In a chat with The ICIR, the elder brother to Casmir, Chidi Uzomah, confirmed that his brother is still in the custody of the DSS and is unsure when he will be released.
“Casmir is still in the DSS facility. He was Invited by DSS on August 4 2022 after a query was issued to him by the Imo State Commissioner of Information Declan Emelumba.
“Reason is that he aired a Bongo music which was critical of the state government.
“Since then, he has been detained by DSS, and all efforts to release him have not worked.
Chidi said he had written to the information commissioner and copied a traditional ruler and others, yet no positive response.
“We wrote to the information commissioner, copied HRH Eze Ok eke Eze Imo State, copied Ministry of information (Head), copied DG IBC, met Archbishop of Owerri Diocese His Grace Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji to help talk with the governor, yet no way.”
According to him, he has also met Human rights lawyers, who helped to write to the DSS to release Casmir without success.
“Meanwhile, I personally wrote to the Director DSS, the letter of which was submitted on Monday, October 3 2022, before I forgot our lawyer wrote for bail earlier by August when he was detained. Yet no response,” he said.
Speaking on the matter in a chat with our reporter, the President of the Association of Imo State Radio And Television Presenters, Jerry Osuji, said the association is working hard to get Casmir released.
“We are already discussing this at the highest level. He works at the technical unit at Orient FM/Television, Imo Broadcasting Corporation. We all belonged to the same institution,
“I have spoken to the DG IBC; he assured me that he wants to know how such a song got to the station.
Osuji, who also works at the same station as Casmir as a Television Presenter, said on a personal note that he has tried to galvanise the workers to pay a visit to his wife and also made an effort to visit the DSS office to see him.
“I made an effort; I was there on Monday to try to see him even though we primarily went there to inform the Director of DSS about our upcoming programme, I still made an effort to see Casmir, but they asked me to write an official letter,” Osuji said.
The state commissioner of information Declan Emelumba described the song played by Casmir that led to his detention by the DSS, as very offensive and defamatory.
Emelumba, in a telephone chat with The ICIR, wondered the motive behind playing such a song on a State-owned radio station.
“I was told that he played a song on IBC which was very offensive, calling the governor a murderer.
“This man actually played a song that says the governor is a murderer and that blood is flowing in his hand.
“Even the NBC queried the IBC for playing such a song.
“I am not responsible for his arrest in any way; I was told he brought the song from outside and played it on the radio station. What is his motive for doing that?” he asked.
Emelumba directed us to go to the DSS for further clarification as he nor the Imo state government had anything to do with his arrest.
Efforts to speak to the DSS on the matter have not been successful.
The Imo State Director of State Services, Wilcox Idaminabo, in a telephone chat with The ICIR on Wednesday, promised to confirm the report and get back to our reporter. However, he has not as of the time of filing this report.
He has not also responded to text and WhatsApp messages sent to his mobile number.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance
It was an uncivilized and primitive song that was conceived from an Evil devilish negative soul. I am embarrassed that some in Igbo land applauded that vomit.
I don’t belong to any political party nor am I holding Brief for his excellence Hope Uzodinma.
If you have anything against your Governor, civilized thing to do is wait for election day, and vote him out
The Governor should do the needful though, by releasing him, and sue him for defamation Period!