By  Tony Edike
ENUGU—Enugu State Government, Monday, dismissed as laughable and  mischievous, claims by the coalition of human rights and pro-democracy groups in the South-East zone that it was behind the current travails of Comrade Osmond Ugwu who was remanded in prison custody by the state Magistrates Court last week for attempted murder.

The government also dismissed as uninformed and ill-thought, the threat reportedly made by the group to “make Enugu State ungovernable” if Ugwu was not released from prison custody within one week.

A release signed by Chukwudi Achife, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sullivan Chime, said the tone of the claims and threats made by the group as published in a national daily, confirmed its suspicions that the labour issues in the state were being sponsored and orchestrated by some disgruntled elements trying to create a false impression of crisis in Enugu State.

He said even the most uninformed person would know that a criminal trial was a matter totally within the domain of the judiciary and that an order to remand or release an accused person in or from prison custody could only be made by a court of competent jurisdiction.

The human rights and pro-democracy groups, including Save Nigeria Group and Lawyers of Conscience, had on Saturday given the state government a week ultimatum to release the incarcerated labour activists, Comrade Osmond Ugwu and Raphael Elobuike, or the state would be shut down by the group and organized labour.

Coordinator of the group, Mr. Benedict Ezeagu, at a press briefing in Enugu said: “While the legal process is going on, we have decided to give the Enugu State Government one week ultimatum to release Comrade Osmond Ugwu and Raphael Elobuike unconditionally.”