Tina Amanda
A three hundred level student of Faculty of Social Science, Rivers State University, Eke Peter Nwachukwu, who was brutalized and the sum of fifty thousand naira allegedly extorted from him, by some officers attached to Headquarters of Police Anti-cultism unit at Ropukwu, former office of the disbanded SARS, has narrated how he was grievously tortured.
Speaking to newsmen, Nwachukwu narrated that on Thursday 20 January, while on his way home, some persons on Wine coloured Sienna vehicle who were putting on black intercepted the bolt car that was conveying him on a chatter, opposite the First bank at Rumuola, Port Harcourt and ordered him to come down from the vehicle, which he did.
Nwachukwu explained that on realizing the persons were officers of the Police Anti-Cultism unit, they searched him and did not find anything incriminating on him, and they ordered him to enter their vehicle.
According to him, he insisted on knowing what his offence was, at that point one of the officers slapped him hard across the face while other officers began to hit him with all manner of objects and later tied his hands, noting it was his screaming that attracted a large number of people to the scene.
He further said the Police officers threw him into their vehicle, laid him on the floor of the vehicle and three officers sat on him, stressing that it got to a point he was shouting he could no longer breathe, as he was been taken to the Anti-Cultism office, Rupokwu where he was detained and stripped to only boxers.
The victim disclosed that on Friday morning, 21 January, 2022, he was given a statement paper to write down his statement, while revealing that the Investigating Police Officer(IPO) tagged him a cultist and a ‘yahoo’ boy which he denied.
Nwachukwu alleged that the Police officers threatened that they will shoot him to death and nothing will happen and nobody will ask of him.
He said two of his friends that came to see him at the Police Anti-Cultism unit headquarters Rukpokwu that Friday morning were told to pay fifty thousand naira before he could be released.
The victim lamented he was released from police custody after his friends paid fifty thousand naira, while demanding Justice in the matter.
