Attempted murder: Truck driver petitions Abia CP, wants cops investigated

From Okey Sampson, Umuahia

A Hiab/Crane Self-loader truck driver has petitioned the Abia State Commissioner of police, Danladi Isa, over the accusation of attempted murder on his life leveled against some policemen attached to the Ubakala police station, Umuahia.

The truck driver, Mr. Chinedu Jonah of Umugwu, Umuodo village in Eziala Ngwa community, Ugwunagbo Local Government Area, in the petition made through his counsel, Emeka Nnaji said on Saturday, November 23, he said went to execute a job in Umuahia from Aba with his conductor and operator. However, while approaching Ubakala, he said they saw a roadblock mounted by some policemen from the Ubakala police station.

He narrated his ordeal: “When our client approached the roadblock, he slowed down and was confronted by one of the policemen who inquired for the content of the truck.

“To our client’s utmost surprise, another of the policemen came to the driver’s side and was scolding vehemently and before our client could know what was happening, the policeman pointed his gun at the driver and directly shot at his left hand while the other policeman released teargas canister inside the cave of the truck.

“This made our client to lose control of the truck, veered off the Expressway into the bush.”

The petition went further to allege that the intention of the policemen was to kill the driver, which made him to escape with a gunshot wound.

Nnaji said despite the shooting and wounding of his client, the policemen still went ahead to arrest the other occupants of the vehicle and impounded the truck.

Nnaji said other occupants of the truck attested to it that the policemen used hydraulic and water to clean blood stain in the truck in an attempt to clean traces of evidence and called on the CP to investigate the police officers involved in the act.

Although the command’s PPRO could not be reached for comments on the matter, a senior police officer said the Commissioner of Police would investigate the matter.

Earlier this year, a young businessman was shot dead under similar circumstances by a policeman at a checkpoint in Aba.