The plea was made by the majority leader of the South Local Government Council
Legislative arm, Hon. Onyeka Nwagbogun while narrating his ordeal at the hands
of the men of the Task Force.
Hon.
Nwagbongun who said he was monitoring the monthly state wide environmental
sanitation east Saturday exercise in his ward when he received a distress call
from a friend of his, whom he gave his name as Anthony, stating that on being
informed by the said Anthony that he was being held by the security operatives
(JIF) at their De Gent Hotel base, along old Lagos/Asaba road, he asked his
friend to hand over the phone to the most senior officer there who happens to
be an Inspector. He said he was informed by the Inspector that Anthony was
being held for violating the environment sanitation law, alleging that the
inspector told him that Anthony?s fine was N5,000 which he must pay before
being released.
The
majority leader said it was at that point he reminded the Inspector that there
was a mobile sanitation court set up for that purpose and that Anthony should
be taken to the court to pay the said fine, a suggestion he said infuriated the
Inspector, who blurted out ?are you to teach me my job?.
It
was after the telephone conversation, according to Hon. Nwagbogun that he
decided to drive to the place where his friend was being held to ?plead with
them so they could take him to the mobile court. When I got to their base, I
introduced myself to the Inspector as the person who spoke with him on the
phone some minutes ago. Immediately I did that, the Inspector pounced on me,
hitting me all over with his baton. Before I knew what was happening, other
members of the team, with the exception of their driver, descended on me?.
He
said that he was severely beaten and dehumanized, and alleged that a gun shot
was fired close at his feet by one of the members of the team, who threatened
to kill him place gun in his hand as an armed robber just as he equally alluded
that the N2,000.00 on him was taken from him by the Inspector.
Hon.
Nwagbogun also alleged that he was provide with TCP to wash his injured mouth,
by the officer in charge of the JTF, ASP Kachi, whom he said came down from his
apartment on hearing the gun shot, to find out what was going on. He said it
was ASP Kachi who took him to his room to administer first aid treatment with
TCP.
He
said that it was the same ASP Kachi who drove him to Owa-Oyibu Police Station
to retrieve the keys to his official vehicle, which was earlier collected from
him.
Alleging
that Anthony and five other persons were later taken to the police station at
Owa-Oyibu where they were detained, Hon. Nwagbogun stressed the need for the
state police boss to curtail what he called ?the unhealthy excesses of some of
the men under his authority in order to avoid the unnecessary brutality being
meted to law?abiding citizens in the state?.
He
said he appreciated the role of security operatives in the protection of lives
and property as well as in the maintenance of law and order in the society but
stressed that it should be done with decorum, maturity and a sense of duty and
responsibly to the people.
When
contacted, neither the officer in charge of Joint Task Force in the area nor
the DPO at the Police Station at Owa-Oyibu could be reached for comment, as
they were said to have gone out for some official engagements.
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