…deceased family, lawyer seek for justice
The family of Oriaku of Umualum Uratta in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State has accused the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Owerri North police division, Mr. Tawon and others of gruesomely murdering their bread winner, Mr. Peter Ogbonna Oriaku over land dispute.
The family alleged that the DPO led six other policemen, Inspector Dawodu Korie and Supol Henry with the assistance of Mr. Philip Akuta and Damian Akuta amongst others at large, broke into the deceased house and abducted him around 1.00am on Friday, April 11, 2014 and dragged him to the house of one Mr. Philip Akuta, where they gave him the beating of his life that led to his death.
In a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 9 Umuahia, the deceased lawyer, Chief Gerald Chino Aririguzo of Oracle Chambers said the matter started when the deceased refused to sell some of his landed properties to Mr. Philip Akuta, who had approached him to sell the land to him at all cost.
According to the petition, Mr. Akuta claimed to have so much money and could always get what he wanted not minding the means, adding that shortly thereafter; he conspired with the deceased half brother, Anthony Nwankem Oriaku (same mother but, not born of the same father), sponsoring him to commence a suit at Customary Court, Umuoba Uratta against the deceased in respect of his father’s landed properties.
The petition, dated April 16, 2014, continued that Mr. Akuta voluntarily brought in the DPO, Mr. Tawon, to live in his house as a tenant and on the basis of which he illegally assigned two police officers from his division as personal guards to the said Akuta, an act, it said made him to intimidate people into submission in the village with the full protection of the DPO.
It added that shortly before the matter came up in court on February 27, 2014, the DPO and some of his officers personally went and arrested the deceased and gave him the beating of his life claiming that he threatened the life of his half brother, Mr. Anthony.
“As if the above was not enough, when our client and Mr. Anthony finished their land case at the Customary Court on 10/04/2014, the said Mr. Anthony Oriaku made it clear that our client cannot live to see the next adjoined date provided that Mr. Philip and the DPO, Mr. Tawon are behind him…
“While our client, who was fully healthy after the court attendants on 10/04/2014 went home to sleep in his house same day, around 1.00am of 11/04/2014, the DPO, Mr. Tawon personally led one Inspector Dawodu, Supol Henry and four other police officers whose identity are yet to be known, wherein they broke into our client’s house, brought him out without any reason and started giving him the general beatings of his life”, reads the petition in part.
It added that thereafter, they dragged the deceased to the house of Mr. Philip Akuta where they finished up the beating, notwithstanding the deceased’s pleas for mercy.
It continued that several hours later when the deceased was still bleeding from both nose and ears that his body was moved from Akuta’s house to the Owerri North divisional police station and later released him at the point of death with a police pro-former to immediately move his body to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri.
But, the FMC, it was learnt, referred him to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu where the 58 year-old man died two days later on April 14, 2014 as a result of the acts of the suspects.
It added that up till the time of the petition the policemen were yet to say the alleged offence of the deceased.
It accordingly requested the AIG to cause an immediate but discreet investigation into the matter by the zonal criminal investigation department, Umuahia especially now that most of the culprits were serving police officers.
Meanwhile, the medical reports obtained by both the police and the family from the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, on the same day the incident occurred, shows that the deceased sustained laceration about 2cm on the right leg and abrasion on the left knee joint as well as had bodily pains and tenderness on the neck.
Also, the radiological report obtained from the UNTH, Enugu, shows that the deceased had severe brain damage as well as subdued hematime.
While some of the culprits have been arrested by the police, investigation revealed that the DPO and the affected police officers were yet to be arrested to enable free investigation.
When our reporter contacted the state police public relations officer, Mr. Andrew Enwerem, on why the DPO was yet to be arrested, he said he was not aware of such matter.
Meanwhile, the matter has since been reported to the Police Service Commission and the Inspector General of the Police, while human right groups were being brought in to ensure that justice takes its course.
