Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
The case of alleged assault and detention of an Onitsha-based female lawyer, Chiamaka Nwangwu, by Jane Mbanefo, the Divisional Police Officer, 3-3 Police Station of Nkwele Ezunaka, has taken another dimension as the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, on Thursday, gave a 14-day ultimatum to the Inspector General of Police to transfer Mbanefo out of the area.
Chairman, NBA Committee, Emeka Anaenugwu (SAN), flanked by the NBA Chairman, Onitsha, Ikenna Chibuzor, and other lawyers, in a press conference at the Bar Centre, Onitsha, described the DPO unfit to head a Police Division and also demanded that all the officers the DPO uses in assaulting people should also be transferred.
The NBA recalled that before the attack on Chiamaka, several other lawyers had been assaulted and in some cases detained by the said DPO for no reason noting that others like Cosmas Anyabolu and Nnamdi Chukwudebelu have suffered the same fate before in her hands.
“We call on the Police Service Commission to commence disciplinary action against Mrs. Regina Jane Mbanefo. We shall ensure that her victims are available to give evidence before any panel of enquiry that may be set up by the Police Service Commission.
“The Nigerian Bar Association, Onitsha Branch shall within 21 days from today liaise with the Attorney General to commence the prosecution of the DPO even as we decry the persistent derogation of the human rights of Nigerian Citizens which has become a normal occurrence at Police Stations and road blocks especially in Anambra State. We hereby demand that the impunity by the police must stop.”
The NBA also said that they shall henceforth deploy all resources at their disposal to commence the defence of the Human Rights of not just lawyers but for other citizens of the country who cannot defend themselves.
Recall that Chiamaka Nwangwu had issues with the police at 3-3 Police Division on 22nd January 2018 where she was detained ,beaten up and force to sigh an apology letter to the DPO. The DPO, Mrs. Mbanefo, a Chief Superintendent of Police had already denied any accusations of wrong doing on the matter when contacted for comments.