Condemnation has trailed the purported striping of four staff working with Signatious Hotel, belonging to a governorship aspirant and former minister of education, Kenneth Gbagi, in Warri.
Human right activists in the state have condemned the alleged barbaric act done on the four staff of the hotel located at PTI junction Effuru, over missing of N5,000.
The activists who protested the alleged dehumanization of the staff on Tuesday in Asaba, carried placards with various inscriptions, “Human right under attack in Delta State”, “We say no to bad justice in Nigeria”, called on the federal government, Nigerian lawyers and other well-meaning individuals to assist the victims to get justice.
Convener of the protest, Director General, Young Nigerian Rights Organization, Comrade Victor Ojei, alleged that the owner of the hotel, who is a former minister of state for Education, Gbagi ordered for the arrest of his staff after stripping them naked for stealing N5,000 belonging to his hotel.
He said, “We are here today (Tuesday) to protest the dehumanization of human right of four staff of Signatious hotel in Warri, over missing of N5,000. We are saying no to bad justice in Nigeria.
“Three female and one man were held hostage, stripped naked in the hotel room, photographed them and put them on video cameras by the management of the hotel.
“Last week Friday, the management of hotel stripped the lady’s naked, filming them in presence of the police at gun point, cash were also withdrawn from the victims account through their ATM card before the police bundled them into a waiting van.
“The Police who suppose to protect the citizens, connived with the hotel management and dehumanized them, let assume that they stole the money, there are channels to address it”.
Also, a human right lawyer, Barr. Collins Chidiebere added that the human right organizations could no longer keep quit over theses abuses in the state.
“I saw the pictured of the people stripped naked because of false alligation. We can not continue with this jungle justice, we can not continue with abuses and injustice, we lawyers have come out to fight this act. This protest is a call to Nigerians, a call to lawyers.
“Human right is supposed to be respected, these victims were kidnapped, held hostage, stripped naked for a period of four days because of accused of stealing some money which is a mere alligation. There is a court of competent jurisdiction that should look into the matter and confirmed whether these persons were innocent or guilty of the alligation” the lawyer stressed.
Findings revealed that the victims who were hurriedly charged to court after four days of detention, secured their bail through the spirited efforts of some anti-corruption and human rights activists who have decided to take up the matter.
In a swift reaction, a press statement by the Director, Human Resources, Signatious Hotel, Egba Ederoghene, who debunked the allegation said there was no time the former minister and governorship hopeful dehumanized his staff.
Hear him: “The attention of the management of Signatious Hotel has been drawn to false accusations of staff molestation against our Chairman, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, circulating on several social platforms.
“We wish to categorically state that at no time did Gbagi subject any staff of the Hotel to such humiliation as he is presently bereaved and occupied with preparing for the funeral of his sister who passed away recently.
“The management also wishes to use this opportunity to inform the public that the staff in the pictures are part of a malicious conspiracy by some political detractors to bring Gbagi’s character to disrepute. This wouldn’t be the first time an attempt has been made to smear the character of our Chairman for whatever reason.
“In the absence of any dirt to nail Gbagi’s pristine reputation, they have descended to mudslinging by concocting fictitious stories to stir emotions and gain public attention.
“However, what those behind the recent blackmail against Gbagi do not realize is that the employees whom they hand picked for their dirty and poorly executed job were already under investigation by management for conniving to steal huge sums of money from the hotel, some of which have been recovered. Confessional statements to this effect can be obtained from the Ebrumede Police Station.
“We also understand that a disclaimer has been issued by one Barrister Gladys, who tendered an unreserved apology for being misled by a group of Warri Lawyers used by those behind the blackmail attempt. The lawyer in particular we were informed, retraced her steps when she discovered that the group was being used to malign the character of Olorogun Gbagi so as to serve the political interest of their paymasters.
“The management, therefore, calls on the public to disregard such cheap blackmail orchestrated by these desperate detractors deployed to work against Kenneth Gbagi’s governorship ambition.
“Finally, we wish to restate our commitment towards ensuring the highest ethical standards in the hospitality industry in Nigeria, while making it a priority to guarantee the welfare of employees engaged by our organization”, Ederoghene, added.
