By Prince Sunny Ebhojiaye.
Mr. Remigus Ekpemandu, a business man based in Ajah, Lagos State told CITY EXPRESS NEWS in his hospital bed in Lagos, that Nigeria police force are worst than criminals. He showed a petition written by International Human Rights Commission on his behalf against police brutality, violation of human rights, wrongful invasion of premises, forcible removal of his passport, freezing of bank account, torture, degrading treatment, assault and bodily harm against the police at the Anti-Fraud Unit of the Federal Criminal Intelligence Investigation Department, FCIID, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The Imo State born business man came back to Nigeria after 15years in Spain. In an interview with City EXPRESS NEWS, the young man said that he was beaten up by some police officers who claimed that they were from special anti robbery squad, (SARS), who descended on him, brutalized him and turned his life to a vegetable.
According to the petition before City EXPRESS NEWS, the incident took place on the 6th October 2017, after Mr. Remigus Ekpemandu left the Total Petrol Filling Station at Abraham Adesanya Estate, Ajah, Lagos.
According to the petition, one Sergeant Musa and another police officer descended mercilessly on him while he was answering a phone call. He said the five police officers just blocked his Pathfinder Jeep car, and ordered him to come down, forcibly dragged him down, accusing him of being a thief and fraudster. “The police Intimidated, harassed and assaulted me,beating me up. They succeded in collecting the key of my car when I became unconscious.” It was at the Falomo General Hospital, he was brought to by two teams of doctors that saved his life.
There were several things that happened, apart from serious injury, and physical and psychological torture and harm done to Mr. Ekpenmadu who was brought to his house at Awoyaya, Ajah,Lagos in a pool of his blood and with foam dripping from his mouth.If not for his wife that raised an alarm, shouting that the police had killed her husband,he could have died before getting to Falomo Medical Center. Doctors on duty at Falomo Medical Center, asked the police officer to take him to LUTH, Idiaraba, Lagos for further immediate brain surgery as a result of brain injuries.
This year October is making it five years, Mr. Remigus Ekpemandu efforts to get justice over the gross assault on him has met brick wall following what he alleged as sinister moves by police officers to sweep the case under the carpet.
He therefore called on the Inspector General of Police ,Alkali Usman Baba to wade into the matter with a view to putting paid to the undue harassment and intimidation meted on him by bringing the culprits to book, the then Commissioner of Police Dan Okoro, now retired,with Sergeant Musa, currently serving at Police Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos.
The action of the police officers under reference, constitues a violation of section 3C5 of the criminal code laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Police has denied every allegation and called it false.
CITY EXPRESS NEWS gathered that up till now, the police has not released Mr. Regnigus Ekpemandu pathfinder jeep, his international passport, his frozen account and documents taken from him.
According to his lawyer, a twist has been introduced into the fight for justice as the police said that the case has been taken to court, but upon further investigation, this turned out to be false. CITY EXPRESS NEWS further learnt that the police dealth with Mr. Ekpemadu and humiliated him in order to get 25,000 thousand naira demanded from him to buy his freedom. Ekpemadu simply said,” I will not give police any money, as I have not committed any offence.”
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