By Spy Uganda
Kampala: Human rights defender Nicholas Opio has been arrested by security forces and taken to an unknown location, TheSpy Uganda has learnt. According to sources, Opio was picked by plain clothed security personnel from a restaurant in Kamwokya together with other four colleagues while they had lunch before being forced into a waiting security van and sped off to unknown place, at least by the time we filed this story. Opio is the Executive Director Chapter Four.
It is alleged that he has been arrested as a result of his statements against government’s recent mass killings of over 50 people in the Bobi Wine arrest riots across Uganda.
“Remember Opio and other senior lawyers have been spitting venom over police and army brutality against innocent Ugandans and this could be one of the reasons he was arrested,” the source noted. Other sources said Opio’s NGO is among those being investigated by security over money laundering among others.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday (December 22, 2020) afternoon, Police confirmed that Opiyo had been arrested by a Joint Task team of Security and Financial Intelligence, on allegations of money laundering and related malicious acts.
This also has been confirmed by another sources in security who noted; “Opiyo was arrested after large sums of money were recovered in his account by the FIA. It’s suspected that part of the funds were for election monitoring.”
Meanwhile, in a statement released on Tuesday evening, Chapter Four Uganda noted that it was deeply concerned about the abduction and incommunicado detention of their lawyer.
They condemned the brutal abduction and called upon their colleagues and partners to condemn the arbitrary violation of Opiyo’s liberty, incommunicado detention, and called for his immediate unconditional release.
“Chapter Four legal team is taking action to ensure that Opiyo’s rights are respected and to ensure his prompt and unconditional release,” statement partially reads. We will keep you updated on all the developments on the same.
