Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) Onitsha branch, Anambra State, has carpeted the police over the alleged brutalization of its member, Mr. Jacob Ogbonaya Obasi, in Onitsha.
Obasi was last week assaulted by police officers attached to the Onitsha area police command where he was beaten to coma for allegedly asking the police officer to stop assaulting a civilian at Awka Road.
The Chairman of Onitsha branch of NBA, Chief Ozoemena Benjamin Erinne, in a press conference in Onitsha, described the incident as unprovoked, unwarranted, willful, malicious and reprehensible assault by the police on the bar member, saying that the assault was so brazen, callous, embarrassing, brutal and dehumanizing.
He said that the association had taken legal steps against the culprits and demanded N100 million as acompensation to their brutalized member from the police authorities and an open apology to be published in national dailies.
Erinne said: “Obasi, from a distance, beckoned on and profusely pleaded with the policemen to stop the assault, in order to avoid and prevent more serious physical injury or even permanent disability or death of the young man. He advised that he be instead arrested and detained. That was the provocation and the policeman slapped Obasi twice and they returned to him and beat him to a pulp.
“Onitsha in particular and Anambra State as a whole have become both endemic and pandemic that there is always reports of atrocious activities of the police operatives in Onitsha, who often engage in Rambo style arrests of civilians while walking on the streets or sitting inside their residents as well as engaging in long detention of citizens in vehicles parked in the various police stations on trump charges and massive extortion of citizens often at gun point.”
He added that currently that there is a charge against a serving divisional police officer in Onitsha high court for assaults on a female lawyer in her station. The NBA chairman said assuming that the victim was not a lawyer, who knows where would he be at the moment. He stated that the Nigeria bar association Onitsha branch would not relent until the culprits are brought to justice to serve as deterrent to others.
He said: “On paper, the police is your friend. On ground, police is your worst enemy. On paper, bail is free; on ground, bail is costly in police institutions.”
On our part, Onitsha bar has already taken positive legal step against the culprits and we promise to update you on the outcome. It is only fools that parleys with his enemies. Lawyers are not fools, we know our enemies and are ready to fight to finish for our right. We, hereby, call on affected civilians to report such cases to the human rights committee of NBA Onitsha branch for prompt action”.
In his remark, Mr. Onyechi Araka, the legal counsel appointed by the NBA body to pursue the matter for the association, while displaying a two point petition he wrote to the police authorities demanding for an unreserved apology from the police which must be published in a reputable national paper and payment of N100 million as compensation to the victim within seven days.