Magnus Eze, Enugu
A consortium of Enugu-based legal practitioners has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, over alleged assault on their colleague, Mr. Nwanneka Agwu, whom they said was beaten to pulp by a group of police officers at a checkpoint in Trans-Ekulu axis of Enugu State capital for no just cause.
The lawyers said that they were more annoyed that further to the thorough beating of Agwu and his subsequent incarceration in police cell, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the station, demanded for N40,000 but collected the sum of N11,000 for bail before Agwu was set free the following day.
In seeking reprieve, the lawyers who copied the Police Service Commission (PSC) indicated their resolve to present the human rights abuse before a court of jurisdiction.
Narrating the ordeal in the petition that was also copied to two Police Committees of the National Assembly, Mr John Obini of Axnorby & Associates described Agwu’s encounter with the police in Enugu under the command of Abdurrahman Ahmed as acts of grievous assault, brutally, criminal extortion and abuse of office.
Obini narrated that the tragic drama ensued on October 3, 2020, while Agwu was in a commercial tricycle, commonly called Keke.
“Our Colleague (Agwu) and the tricycle driver were stopped at a police checkpoint located at No. 3 Mission Road, Ugbodogwu, Enugu, Enugu State. After the vehicle was flagged down, the Policemen immediately demanded the sum of N50.00 from the tricycle driver. The driver refused to bulge to the demand insisting that he just paid the same amount to other Policemen who mounted a roadblock at Tanker Park Road, Trans Ekulu, Enugu.
“At this moment, the Policemen demanded for the particulars of the tricycle conveying our colleague which the driver provided. All this while, our client and his colleague sat quietly in the tricycle watching the drama. After perusing the particulars, the police also demanded for his driving license which he also obliged them.
“We were further informed that the Policemen further demanded for what they called tricycle driver’s test. The driver responded that he had not heard of such document and that his particulars are complete and that if there is anything missing, there was an affidavit in respect thereof.
“The police told the tricycle owner that the affidavit had expired. At that point, the police also stopped a mini-bus and collected the sum of N50 from the driver of the said Mini-bus. The bus had parked behind the tricycle conveying our client. As the mini-bus driver was about leaving the checkpoint, he rammed into the tricycle but the Policemen waved him to move on.
“It was at this point that our client and his colleague alighted from the tricycle and approached the driver of the mini bus to ask why he did not stop to at least empathize with the tricycle’s driver over the damage done to his vehicle. The mini bus driver explained that the Policemen asked him to go and that the tricycle driver is his friend and they will iron it out later.
“Our colleague left the mini bus driver only to find the Policemen beating the tricycle driver and hitting him with their guns. Our colleague felt bad at the sight of the events unfolding before him and begged the Policemen to let the driver go. At this point, one of the Policemen asked our client to introduce himself. The moment he heard that our client is a lawyer, he flared up the more and accused our client of encouraging the driver not to ‘cooperate’ and vowed to use our colleague as an example.
“Before our client could respond further, the Policemen had descended on him, hitting him with their gun until he lost consciousness. Our colleague was bundled into the waiting vehicle of the Policemen and whisked to Trans Ekulu Divisional Police Station. Our colleague regained consciousness at the station and was immediately thrown behind the counter.
“Few minutes later, the Divisional Police Officer (D.P.O), Tony Edeh, arrived and just asked whether the person behind the counter is the idiot fighting the Police and the Policemen chorused ‘yes sir’.
“Without interviewing our colleague or giving him any opportunity to explain, the Divisional Police Officer ordered that our client should be thrown into the cell. The order was immediately obeyed by one Bassey, who now claims to be the Investigation Police Officer. All entreaties from our client’s colleague that our client should be allowed to seek medical help fail on deaf ears as he was forcefully thrown out of the station by the same Bassey.
“Our colleague was detained till the following morning when Bassey demanded for the sum of N40,000.00 as money purportedly for our client’s bail. Our colleague’s friends were finally forced to pay the sum of N11,000.00 at around 4:00pm before he was released.”