Lawyer Narrates how police brutalized him in his house
Posted by FN Editor | 3 years ago | 722 times
A legal practitioner based in Aba, Abia State, Barr Maduka Bishop has alleged that some police men of former SARS/Rapid Response Squad/ Dragon Unit on 27/3/2017 stormed his house at Aba, around 4am in the morning, and rained unimaginable injuries all over his body, including, hitting him severally with the edge of a gun.
The legal practitioner made the allegation while testifying before Abia State Panel of Inquiry on Police Brutality, Extra Judicial killings and other related matters, presided over by the former Retired Chief Judge of Abia State, Hon. Justice Sunday Imo, at Aguiyi lronsi Conference Centre, Umuahia.
He claimed that police used "a big iron to hit" and broke the doors and windows into his flat, thereafter the police furiously beat and brutalized to the extend that blood was gushing out from his mouth, shoulder and legs.
He equally alleged that three police men jacked him up and in the process his trousers fell off from his waist. "I was totally naked. A man of my age and profession was carried out naked in the full view of the public", he lamented.
It was while he was in the police van, that one of his neighbours, Mr Victor Ibe, picked my torn trousers that dropped from my waist and gave it to one of the police men who threw it to me to cover nakedness.
He added, as he was being dragged out of his flat, he claimed he saw two police men with one Mr. Chimaobi Nwamou rapaciously searching his house without a warrant.
He told the panel that the police police drove him to their office at Umuoba Road Police Station, Ogbor-Hill, Aba, and detained him in a pit called cell for several hours.
Barr Maduka alleged also that the police handcuffed him and took him to Zone 9 Police Headquarters, Umuahia.
At Zone 9, the officer in charge of the Z11B Section, where he was taken,AC Ibeka, decried inhuman treatment meted out to him. It was here that he was shown the petition written against him by one Mr Chimaobi Nwamou bordering on land he purchased from his late father, Mr Chineyere Nwamou.
Barr Maduka did not hesitate to remind the police that this was a civil matter. Thereafter he was granted bail.
On getting home, he was shocked as to the level of destruction that took place in his flat. Besides damaged doors and windows the money two of his clients, Mr Ambrose Uwadi and Mr William Okwunna paid him late evening before the invasion, amounting to #500,000 were taken, including his gold wrist watch, Vicroy, valued over #100,000, presented to him as Christmas gifts by his brother who is living in USA.
Worst of all, the edge of the gun the police severally hit him on the hip had caused him spinal cord/ lumber injury or sickness, which has taken him to various hospitals in Nigeria.
Some of the hospitals he visited in search of good health were;" Nissi Foundation Hospital, Aba, Dickson Orthopedic, Abayi Aba, Abia State Teaching Hospital, Orthopedic Section Aba, Gariki Specialist Hospital, Abuja,Camek Orthopedic Hospital, Abuja, Green leaf Hospital, Owerri, Noble Orthopedic Hospital, National Orthopedic Hospital Enugu and Orinze Specialist Hospital, Aba.
He claimed to have spent fortunes on his health, yet he is waiting for Hip operation that would cost him over #3 million.
Currently, "he walks with walking stick, uses cuses on his hips, use bandage on his knees, as a result of injuries police inflicted on him" he lamented.
The legal practitioner prayed the panel to award him #50 million compensation.
Under cross examination, the Counsel to the police, DSP, FC Okafor deposited that the petitioner was at the panel to ambush justice, as he has already secured relief of #50 million on this matter from the High Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, the matter is adjourned to March 31,2021 for presentation of written addresses of both parties.
-Comrade John Emejor
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