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| Stephen |
Stephen, a pastor with one of the Pentecostal
churches in Abia State, said three officers of SARS from Lagos came to Aba,
Abia State, to arrest and dragged him to Lagos over a $5000 debt.
According to him, the police had
refused to tell his crime until they got to the police command in Lagos. It was
after they got to Lagos, they told him that his elder brother, Robert Ubaechu,
owed Mr. Ken Chibueze, the sum of $5000.
Incidentally, SARS operatives are
not supposed to get involved in cases that are not related to robbery. There’s
also a controversy over the money involved in the business deal between Ken and
Robert.
While Ken insisted that he gave
Robert, $25,000 dollar, Stephen maintained that his brother received just only
$5000 from Ken.
The pastor said: “I was intimidated
and threatened by Inspector Emmanuel Onuh, and Sergeant Sunny. They detained me
for five days without taking me to court. They also wouldn’t allow me to write statement.
They ordered detainees in the cell to beat me mercilessly. Till date, I’m still
feeling body pains. I was arrested for an offence I knew nothing about. The
business deal, which apparently didn’t work out satisfactory was between my
elder brother, Robert, Chigozie Ohanaka and Mr. Ken Chibueze.
“I was not part of the transaction,
but Ken led policemen from Lagos to Aba, to arrest me. I got to know Ken
only after I was arrested. I have never had any business dealings with him.”
Stephen, who was still peeved at the
ill-treatment he received while in detention, said that he was going to sue the
Nigeria Police and Ken for unlawful detention and torture. He stressed that his
fundamental rights were breached.
He recounted that in 2012, Robert
and Ken went into a business deal. The deal was that Ken gave some money to
Robert, who resides overseas to send his a car.
Police sources said that Robert
allegedly didn’t honour the deal and refused to refund Ken his money. Stephen said that one day Ken called and
introduced himself as an ex-police man.
Stephen said: “He told me that my
brother sent a vehicle to him through me. I was surprised; I called Robert and
told him what Ken said. Robert said I shouldn’t mind him. I left the
matter until Ken called another day. I told him to leave me out of their
business dealings. After that, I found out that he just wanted to get me
involved in their dealings because something went wrong. He told me that since
he started doing business with my brother, it had not been
fruitful. He was angry with my brother. He said that the kind of cars my
brother sent, were not the kinds he requested for.”
Stephen said that he thought Ken
complained to him because he wanted him to speak with Robert. He said that soon,
Ken started threatening him. Ken also allegedly threatened another of their
brother, Hillary Ubaechu, residing in South Africa.
Stephen said: “I called Robert and
advised him to resolve his issue with Ken. I quarreled with Robert; he stopped
calling me. Ken called again; I advised him to resolve any issue he had with
Robert and leave members of my family out of it. He said Robert should send a
car to him or refund his money.”
One day, he was at home, when
policemen stormed into his apartment and arrested him. They handcuffed him.
He recalled: “When we got to Lagos,
they took my handset and wouldn’t allow me to reach my people. A policeman
later entered the cell to ask what my offence was. I narrated everything to him.
He allowed me to contact my family. I called my people and later I was granted
bail.”
Ken, however, explained that he made
series of efforts to reach Stephen and Hillary, to alert them about what their
brother did to him, because they were aware of his business dealings with
Robert.
He said that Stephen lied when he
claimed he had never seen or met him until his arrest by SARS men. Ken disclosed
that he sent $25,000 to Robert for a particular vehicle since 2011 and till
date, the man was yet to send it.
He said: “When I complained to
Stephen and Hillary, they promised to speak with Robert. I waited until 2015,
which was when I called them again. I asked for Robert’s phone number after I
discovered he was no longer using his former number. Stephen and Hillary
refused to give me Robert’s new phone number. Sometimes, when I called Stephen
he would pick, promised to call me back, but wouldn’t. They were all playing
me.
“I last time I travelled to Aba, in
order to go and meet them, I had an accident. The accident caused me my teeth.
Since then, all I get to hear from them are promises, that Robert will settle,
but the promises were never fulfilled.”
Ken claimed that in the process of
trying to recover his $25,000, he further over $5000, including his teeth.
“I lost my house at Satellite Town
and couldn’t pay my children’s school fees. Bank took over my house
because I was not able to meet up with my loan payment. It was when all efforts
to recover my money or get the car failed, that I reported to the police,” said
Ken.
He revealed that it was after
Stephen was arrested that Robert finally called, promising to refund his money
by March next year.
Ken said: “Robert even told the
police that he will pay me N4million because he had owed me since 2011.”
The Lagos State Police Public
Relations Officer (PPRO),
ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole said that
he was not aware of the case, but promised to find out. As at press time, he
was yet to contact our correspondent.
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