Lawyers in Imo State under the auspices of Nigerian Bar Association have decried brutality, bullying, assault torture, humiliation and unlawful detention by police.
The condemnation of these inhuman treatments on lawyers and none lawyers in Imo State by the law enforcement agents who should protect rights of innocent citizens was made by Chairman, NBA, Owerri Branch, Damian U. Alinnor Esq, when he spoke to newsmen at the NBA Office in Owerri on Thursday.
He lamented that over the years lawyers and non lawyers have been dehumanized by men and officers of the police with no punishment meted out on them by higher authorities, frowning that many innocent people in the state had died in their hands given to their animalistic behaviors and gluttony (greed for money).
Alinnor was bitter that one of their colleagues, Chinaka Chigozie Esq, who was allegedly tortured, assaulted and unlawfully detained by the police at Police Area Command Owerri when he went to seek for bailout of his client is still battling with injuries sustained during the maltreatment, hence he called on the Inspector General of Police and CP of Police, Imo State to thoroughly investigate the allegation of the bullying, torture and unlawful detention of their colleagues by their men.
According to Alinnor; “We make bold to state that the Bar had conducted a preliminary investigation over the grave allegations leveled against ACP David Ogenyi and the concerned officers under his command and control and the preliminary investigation revealed that ACP David Ogenyi and the concerned officers have a case to answer. “The said preliminary investigation further reveals that ACP David Ogenyi has been in the habit of abusing his office and powers.
He insults and molests lawyers that visit Area Command, Owerri Municipality, either for their personal matters or on behalf of their clients. “The members of the Bar are embittered by this level of inhuman treatment and condemned in the strongest terms, the actions of ACP David Ogenyi in this regard and by extension the brutality of the police against lawyers who go about their lawful and professional duties on daily basis.
The police have a binding duty and a constitutional one to protect the lives and properties of citizens rather than treat them with disdain. “The actions meted out on our colleague by ACP David Ogenyi and his cohorts are unbelievably dehumanizing and ought to be questioned by the top hierarchy of the police and the government.
NBA “therefore call on the Inspector General of Police to kindly prevail in the SOS complaint and accordingly direct the immediately suspension of ACP David Ogenyi and the concerned officers, to guarantee a thorough and unbiased investigation of the grave allegations leveled against him and other officers within the command, as his presence in office at the Police Area Command, Owerri will surely jeopardize the investigation in this matter; or in the alternative, the immediate transfer of ACP David Ogenyi and the concerned officers from Imo State Police to any other State Police Command forthwith, pending a holistic investigation of this matter, and to constitute a five-man committee with the Attorney – General of Imo State as the Chairman with two senior police officers and two senior members of NBA Owerri Branch to conduct a discreet investigation into the remote cause of the incident.
“We say no to any form of police brutality, torture and impediment of lawyers from the discharge of their professional duties. We urge the heads of security agencies in the state to admonish their officers to always work harmoniously with lawyers in the administration of criminal justice system, to report any lawyer who becomes unruly while performing his professional duties to Nigerian Bar Association for disciplinary actions”. Regretting that the police had mercilessly dealt with helpless law abiding persons in Imo State and had exterminated many due to extortion on the road and in their stations, Bennett Amukamara Esq, Chairman, NBA Orlu Branch, E. A. Ochionu Esq. Chairman, NBA Okigwe Branch, Chief Eze Ihekoronye, Chairman, NBA Mbaise Branch, Chief Ndubuisi Uhuegbu, Chairman NBA Mbano/Etiti, cautioned police men and officers to stop extorting and dehumanizing people.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the police at Police Area Command Owerri, Barr. Chinaka Chigozie, said he went to bail his client who was erroneously detained at the police cell, but to his chagrin the Police Area Commander ordered his men to strip him naked, assault him, torture him and detain him, alleging that all plea made to the DCP of Police in charge of Police Area Command was futile as the man was bent at dehumanizing him for just no reason.