A Reporter with the Blueprint Newspapers, covering Labour and Industrial Relations, Moses John has petitioned the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim K. Idris over his physical assault and illegal Detention by the Jikwyo Division of the force.
Loading ...In his petition, John said two Police Officers of the Jikwyo Police Division, a suburb in the FCT, on Thursday, 4th August, 2016 battered and detain him for over 14 hours for “daring to question them.”
The two police officers indentified as Sargent Ishaya Jock and Corporal Akpa Gabriel were said to be attached to Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) revenue collectors.
Trouble started around 4:30 pm on that day when the journalist came to City Car Wash around Sada Cruz hotel junction to wash his car, while waiting for the car to be washed, he sat in a bear parlour when the policemen came and ordered the sealing of the bar.
The reporter said when he inquired after introducing himself as a journalist, the officers started beating and dragged him to the Jikyo police station before detaining him, under the claim that he is an intruder.
“I came to the car Wash around 430, while they are washing the car, I decided to seat at bar to have a battles of bear. 20 minutes later a red Sharon car park beside the bar then five persons including two policemen enter the bar and inquired for the owner from the sales girl. She told them she was not around. Later they ask her for liquor permit or the bar will be seal.
“What attracted my attention was that I heard seal the bar and immediately, they started bringing out crates of beer. Since I was seating close to the policemen, I greeted the corporal and then inquired if all was well, he ask me to shut up and that if I say a word he would slap me. I responded by pleading with him that it has not come to that, and that I am a journalist and want to know what was happening. He slapped me, hit me with his boot and later a sergent came out as they both dragged me into their car. While this was going on, a perserby who came to buy a movie, decided to snap what was happening and when the police sited her, they immediately rushed the woman, holding her shirt in the process. She was almost stripped naked and they dragged her inside the Sharon car and drove us to the police station, then detained us”.
Some of the eye witnesses told our correspondent when he visited the scene of the incident, that the treatment melted on the journalist and the woman was unfair, stressing that they were battered as if they were criminals.
A welder who discribed himself as Godswil who witness what happened ” said I was walking when I saw there was rancour I quickly off my machine and when when I came closer I saw the policemen beating the journalist and he kept asking what have I done to warrant this treatment, and letter drag him and a woman selling movies to the car and drove to station.
“We were very surprise because the journalist never touch them. They say police is our friend but what happened on Thursdaycall for concern”.
The owner of the Bar who spoke through her principal Counsel , Bar Chucks S. Ebonugwo also told our correspondent that the policemen took his client goods and her N318000 which she left in the shop.
According to him, “my client told me when she returned about 52 cartons, 102 bottles of beer in fridge, 42 inch Samsung Plasma, 30 pieces of rubber table, N260 000 she intended to pay for rent, plus N58 000 She collected for contribution which she kept in the cartons of Bear was also taken away”.
On the defaulted Seal paper they save his client, Bar Ebonugwo show a receipt dated 12th of July, 2016 issued by the Abuja Municipal Area Council to her for the sum of Five thousand naira, and however wander why such paper should be served without a court order since there was no notice.
