Tina Amanda
The Chairman of Asari-Toru local government area, Mrs Alaso Johnbull Obi, who appeared before the Rivers State Judicial Commission of Inquiry on Police brutality, has demanded that the Mobile Police Officers led by one Abu from Mopol 98, that brutalized and tortured her during the 9th March, 2019 Governorship in the state should be brought to book.
She told the commission that she was carrying out her election duties as a member of the monitoring team as appointed by her Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when Mopol Officers numbering over ten stormed the collation center and barred PDP agents from entering into the center.
According to her, when she intervened when a PDP agent was being brutalized by the Mopol Officers, they descended on her with several slaps on her face. She added that she was pushed to the floor, her phone and costly wrist watch was instantly stripped off her by the officers.
She however pleaded that Police Officers should be subjected to medical checkup as most of the officers may be under influence of substances such as hard drugs, while asking for the return of her phone and wrist watch or a compensation of three hundred and fifty thousand naira.
“We have to beg before they could allow us into the collation premises. The Police Officers did not allow any PDP Agent inside, whoever tried to enter will be beaten severely, handcuffed and thrown into their van. All of a sudden I saw them brutalizing one of the PDP Agent for Constituency 1.
“The guy wanted to hand me over his phone, I went close, before a twinkle of an eye, I was slapped on the face severally, push to the ground, my phone, wrist watch were stripped off me immediately. It was just like an armed robbery attack. It was a real dark day for Asari-Toru local government area.
“These police officers need to be cautioned, the way I see some of them, it is like they are on hard drugs which torment them because their actions are inhumane, they need to take them to rehabilitation centers. Government have to put eyes on whoever is to be recruited into the police and the entire force, because their attitudes toward civilians are terrible”
Also, one Damini Ataria is seeking justice for his three younger brothers Harry Ataria, Tony Oruama, Godgift Ferguson Ekerete, who were allegedly murdered by Police Officers that came to pick them up in disguise of the driver and conductor that was supposed to convey them to Bayelsa for their sister’s burial on 3rd, July, 2008.
Ataria told the panel that the Police Officers that came to pick his brothers had earlier killed the driver and conductor of the bus and came in disguised to pick others, adding that one of his brother had huge money that was deposited in his bank account for food stuffs.
He testified that the Police threatened the family not to take the matter to court or they will be murdered, while demanding for the release of the corpse of his three brothers for burial and that Police should account for what happened to them.
“As I speak now, the corpse of those boys have not been released to the families for proper burial. I’m demanding for their corpse to be released, I am asking the Commissioner of Police Rivers State to account for what happened to my brothers who were preparing to attend the burial ceremony of their sister only to be killed by police officers for no offense. I am demanding a public apology from the police and compensation for the family, because Harry Ataria was the bread winner of my family”
