A nursing
mother with a monthold- baby has accused a policeman attached to the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Awkuzu, Anambra State, of slapping
her after she was arrested along with her husband.
Mrs Ifeyinwa Ihejiagwa said that she heard of her husband’s arrest but before she could get to the shop where her husband sells wine to ascertain what the matter was, the policemen had whisked her husband away to an undisclosed location. She was attempting to find out from neighbours where her husband, Chiagorom Ihejiagwa, 31, had been taken to, when the policemen returned and arrested her.
It was gathered that Ihejiagwa, a businessman who has a wine shop at ‘Triple M Plaza,’ Asaba, Delta State and his wife, Ifeyinwa, a nursing mother of a month-oldbaby were arrested and detained on May 29 by some operatives of SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State. The Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), felt Ihejiagwa had been detained for too long and stepped into the matter, insisting that Ihejiagwa’s fundamental human right had been infringed upon.
Ihejiagwa’s wife was released the next day and she reported that she was ‘physically and emotionally molested and detained’ and that one of the officers slapped her. But Ihejiagwa has been in custody for almost three weeks. NOPRIN National Coordinator, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma said Ihejiagwa’s family members and counsel had not been allowed access to him and they believed that he was being tortured to make ‘confessions’, as was the common practice in SARS.
He said: “NOPRIN is informed that prior to the arrest of Ihejiagwa, one of the policemen, nicknamed, ‘Pele’ was calling him, accusing him of having bought a stolen vehicle and demanding that he should bring his ‘own share’. “Ihejiagwa denied the allegation of buying any stolen vehicle and refused to give ‘Pele’ the money he demanded. It was after this that ‘Pele’ and others arrested and detained him.”
According to Nwanguma, 16 days after Ihejiagwa’s detention, the police have continued to deny him access to family and legal representation and have not disclosed any intention to charge him to court for any offence.
“About 7pm on that same day, Ihejiagwa’s younger brother, Callistus, a lawyer, based in Owerri, Imo State, who had also been informed about the aforementioned development, called his arrested brother’s wife to know where she was. But her phone was switched off,” said Nwanguma.
Mrs Ifeyinwa Ihejiagwa said that she heard of her husband’s arrest but before she could get to the shop where her husband sells wine to ascertain what the matter was, the policemen had whisked her husband away to an undisclosed location. She was attempting to find out from neighbours where her husband, Chiagorom Ihejiagwa, 31, had been taken to, when the policemen returned and arrested her.
It was gathered that Ihejiagwa, a businessman who has a wine shop at ‘Triple M Plaza,’ Asaba, Delta State and his wife, Ifeyinwa, a nursing mother of a month-oldbaby were arrested and detained on May 29 by some operatives of SARS, Awkuzu, Anambra State. The Network on Police Reforms in Nigeria (NOPRIN), felt Ihejiagwa had been detained for too long and stepped into the matter, insisting that Ihejiagwa’s fundamental human right had been infringed upon.
Ihejiagwa’s wife was released the next day and she reported that she was ‘physically and emotionally molested and detained’ and that one of the officers slapped her. But Ihejiagwa has been in custody for almost three weeks. NOPRIN National Coordinator, Mr Okechukwu Nwanguma said Ihejiagwa’s family members and counsel had not been allowed access to him and they believed that he was being tortured to make ‘confessions’, as was the common practice in SARS.
He said: “NOPRIN is informed that prior to the arrest of Ihejiagwa, one of the policemen, nicknamed, ‘Pele’ was calling him, accusing him of having bought a stolen vehicle and demanding that he should bring his ‘own share’. “Ihejiagwa denied the allegation of buying any stolen vehicle and refused to give ‘Pele’ the money he demanded. It was after this that ‘Pele’ and others arrested and detained him.”
According to Nwanguma, 16 days after Ihejiagwa’s detention, the police have continued to deny him access to family and legal representation and have not disclosed any intention to charge him to court for any offence.
“About 7pm on that same day, Ihejiagwa’s younger brother, Callistus, a lawyer, based in Owerri, Imo State, who had also been informed about the aforementioned development, called his arrested brother’s wife to know where she was. But her phone was switched off,” said Nwanguma.
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