Retired Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Benjamin Agordzo has made allegations against Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul, accusing him of engineering his arrest.
Agordzo claimed that Nitiwul instigated his arrest following his disclosure of information regarding Dr. Mac-Palm on a WhatsApp platform, as well as his expression of opinions on civil unrest and the Arab Spring.
According to Agordzo, Nitiwul reposted his previous comments on civil unrest with additional remarks implying that he needed to be brought under control, which ultimately led to his arrest.
“A member of the government, a cabinet minister [Dominic Nitiwul], who is on Adam Bonaa’s WhatsApp platform quickly picked it. He initiated my arrest. I had spoken about the Arab Spring on the Adam Bonaa platform, and discussed civil unrest on Dr Mac-Palm’s platform, I spoke about the Arab Spring as well. When the arrests of the alleged coup makers were announced, we started discussing this same thing,” he said on Face to Face on Citi TV.
“While we all doubted, including a number of people, I also expressed my opinion on Adam Bonaa’s platform. I had told the whole world on the platform that I knew Dr [Mac-Palm]. I have met him once, he’s passionate about good governance. No sooner had I made that statement, than the minister posted my previous comments on civil unrest and added his own words ‘He’s way off the mark, he must be brought to order’. These are things I teach.”
When questioned if he was specifically pointing to the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul, ACP Agordzo affirmed, “Yes, exactly.” He alleged that Dominic Nitiwul targeted him following his remarks.
“He came after me because he started this whole thing. I protested when he did that. I reported him to the administrator of the platform. The administrator contacted him, and we have it on chat. The administrator told him the platform is a free one where members express their opinions on security and therefore should stop what he was doing. Less than two weeks I was arrested.”
The senior police officer further asserted that his case originated at the Defence Intelligence at Burma Camp under the oversight of Nitiwul before it was later transferred to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
He challenged the Defence Minister to confront him if he believed he was being slandered, emphasizing that he had never had any issues with him before.
“He [Dominic Nitiwul] should take me on if he thinks it is flimsy, and I will prove my case. The investigation against me started at the Defence Intelligence at Burma Camp under the supervision of the same minister. Before the case was transferred to the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB).
He further asserted, “I don’t have any problem with him. Maybe he’s being vindictive, maybe he had something against me that I don’t know. He may not be comfortable with my opinions and decided to change my sitting place.”
In 2021, ACP Benjamin Agordzo, the late Dr. Mac Palm, and eight others were brought before the courts on charges of conspiracy to commit high treason and high treason.
However, on January 24, 2024, the High Court acquitted ACP Benjamin Agordzo, while six others were found guilty of conspiracy to commit high treason and committing high treason.
The six individuals convicted for their involvement in the coup plot have been sentenced to death by hanging.
