November 21, (THEWILL) – A two-day day public tribunal on police abuses in Southeast states and Nigeria at large, holds in Owerri.
The programme, which was jointly organised by the network on Police Reform in Nigeria, in collaboration with National Human Rights Commission and Police Service Commission, which was held at the Immaculate Hotel, attracted people from all walks of life.
In his opening remarks at the occasion, the representative of the National Human Rights Commission, Barr. Uche Ohanorom, said the tribunal was set up, following complaints in respect to infringement on the rights of the general public by the security agents in the country.
Ohanorom, who expressed sadness over the rising cases of Police brutalities on people of South-east states, regretted that security operatives even lobby the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to be posted to the zone.
“In Imo, Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States, we are shocked that the authorities charged with the responsibility of protecting lives and property, have become mass murderers.”
Narrating her ordeal to the panel, a seventy-one-year-old mother, who gave her name as Angela Anyanwu, from Nkwerre Local Government Area of the Imo state, explained how police officers forced away her only son to an unknown destination, saying that they had searched left, right and centre, but is nowhere to be found.
She also said that Police operatives smashed her husband’s vehicle, beat her up, destroyed their house, and hit a gun on her daughter for calling on the release of his brother.
“My daughter, Njideka, came out to know why her brother was being beaten, the invaders descended on her. The policemen pushed her”, she said.
Another complainant, Onyekachi Ulocha, 40 and his elder brother, Ulocha Chinedu, 42, all from Umuguma community, in Owerri West Local Government Area, narrated how they were arrested by their uncle over land dispute.
According to the two brothers, they were whisked away for no just cause, adding that they were tortured as directed by their uncle.
Responding to the various complaints, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Imo State Command, CSP Mike Abattam, maintained that Police Officers had been working assiduously towards ensuring that criminalities were reduced.
He, therefore, assured the aggrieved persons to be calm, promising to channel the complaints to the appropriate quarters.
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