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ν 3 cops narrate how they became amputees following attacks by armed robbers
From Molly Kilete, Abuja
Their joy knew no bounds when they joined the services of the Nigerian Police Force to help fight crime and rid the country of criminals.
And so if anyone had told them that they would one day become amputees in the course of their job, they would have tagged such a person a prophet of doom.
But today, Inspectors Rabiu Sani, Innocent Jacob and Thehember Oroka, have are amputees courtesy of armed robbers who attacked them while on duty.
Some of their colleagues were killed during the attacks, while they survived, but ended up as amputees.
Their stories are pathetic though they said that they don’t regret joining the police and would join again if there is anything like reincarnation.
They said that though life has not been easy, especially as they were born with their two hands and legs with which they used to join the police, they are still grateful to God for sparing their lives. They are also happy as the police they work for did not retire them as a result of their present condition as they are still serving police officers, save for Tehember, who is now retired.
In this interview with Sunday Sun, the police officers took turn to narrate their ordeals and how they have taken their new fate.
For Inspector Rabiu, Thursday December 5, 2019, will forever be in his memory because that was the day he along his colleagues were attacked by armed robbers who stormed their duty post.
The Police Inspector said that he and his colleagues were deployed for security duties to a Micro-Finance bank at Gwagwalada Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT).
Like every other security duty they have always been deployed to in the night, he said that they usually embark on the normal security checks around the environment and carried out constant patrol not knowing what awaits them on the fateful day.
At exactly midnight when they decided to carry out another patrol, he said that the robbers stormed the bank shooting sporadically from all angle.
To display their bravery, they returned fire for fire, but the robbers who came for business engaged them, overpowered them and shot Sani on the hand.
Knowing he had been shot, he slowly crawled into a gutter in the area to take refuge. And the robbers saw him rolling into the gutter, got there and saw him in the pool of his own blood and concluded he was dead and left the scene. That was how he escaped death.
He said that while the shooting was going on, they sent a distress call to the devisional
headquarters who immediately deployed a rescue team, but by the time they got to the scene, the robbers were gone.
Sani, was rushed to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, where doctors on duty saw the battered hand and resolved to amputate it to save his life.
The operation was successful, but since then life has not remained the same especially in his job as a police man. Though he has since adjusted to his new life of an amputee, Sani said that he has no regret joining the police and would join the police if he has to come back to this world again.
His words: “I joined the police in June 2004. I joined the police to defend my country and fatherland. I am from Kastina state.
“I was attacked while on duty by armed robbers. I was on duty sometimes on December 5, 2019, when the robbers struck. I was posted to a micro finance bank located at Gwagwalada, when the incident happened. The robbers stormed the bank unexpectedly and began to shoot sporadically. They came very prepared firing heavily, we fought back, but their firing was much and in the process, they shot my hand. When I realized that I had been shot, I rolled into a gutter in the area to take refuge and laid there pretending to be dead. The robbers kept shooting and came to the gutter where I was and pointed their lights on me and arguing among themselves that I was dead that there wasn’t need shooting me again that they should start going. And so they left. That was how I escaped being killed. While the shooting was still going on the Gwagwalada division sent a reinforcement team, but the robbers escaped before their arrival.
“The reinforcement team upon arriving at the scene of the incident, began to search for us and I shouted from the gutter where they came and picked me up and took me to the Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.
“The doctors at the hospital discovered that my hand was badly shattered and decided that it be amputated for me to stay alive and recover fast.
The amputation process was not easy, but I thank God that I am still alive to do my duties because the police did not force me to retire or dismiss me from service. I am still a serving police officer.
“The amputation was not easy for me at all because I had to learn how to do things all over again as an amputee. I had to learn how to bath, wash my clothes, dress up and everything. I thank God today because I have been able to overcome the situation and I am now able to do everything that I used to do when I had my two hands intact.
I am still in the police serving with FCT command, Gwagwalada division.
“My advice to anybody that finds himself or herself in this kind of condition is not to give up hope. Find anything that your hands can do to keep you busy so you don’t fall into depression that will kill you fast.
“I never knew I would end up as an amputee. I used to know a man, an amputee, who is into trading. He deals in fabrics and he uses a wheelbarrow to go around to do his business with that one hand. From using a wheelbarrow, he has bought a car with which he uses to sell the fabrics. And so when it happened to me, I remembered that man and told myself that if he can survive, I will survive too. That was how I overcame the situation.”
Hear Inspector Innocent Jacb:
“I am from Nassarawa State Police Command. I am 42 years old. I joined the police in January 2007.
“I got attacked while on a special duty at the Explosives Ordinance Device(EOD) unit. I was deployed to a place called Awe, to a company in the area. On my way back from duty I came across some armed robbers who attacked me. They shot me on my right hand. That was how I got injured and ended up an amputee. The incident happened on February, 2, 2013.
“It was not easy at all for me because this was me that had my two hands doing whatever I wanted to do and all of a sudden becoming an amputee.
I really suffered. I went to the police headquarters on several occasions because of funds to treat this hand until I got response that I should come for the money. So I thank the president.
“It has not been easy living with one hand, but I thank God because God says we should thank Him in every situation, so I am grateful, it could have been worse than this.
“I joined the police because of my love for the job and I can tell you now that I am enjoying my work as a police officer because I am still in service.”
Inspector Tergember Oroka (rtd) also speaks:
“I am 59 years old. I joined the police in 1981, because I want to serve my nation. I was attacked on duty while I was still in service in the Nigerian Police Force. What happened was that I was on vehicle patrol when me and my team members were attacked.
“A group of armed robbers had attacked three separate banks and a police station at Anka in Kogi State. And on their way back from their operation, they saw me and my men on patrol and opened fire at us. We exchanged fire with them. Two of my colleagues were killed in the process while I survived with this injury on my hand. I was rushed to the hospital after the incident where doctors on duty said the only solution for my survival was amputation.
“Life was not easy for me at all after this injury because I work in the field as an operations officer. But after the injury, I was redeployed to the office. But I have since overcome the challenges with counseling from family, friends, colleagues and well wishers and I voluntarily retired from the police and if I have another life, I will still want to join the police again.”
