Tina Amanda
One Daniel Sunday has called for the arrest of one Chief Lawrence Okuru, who he alleged attacked and inflicted grievous bodily injury on him at the Nembe/Bonny water front, Port Harcourt Township, over community levy known as “matching ground”
In an interview with our correspondent, the victim narrated that on 8 September, 2022, at about 9pm, he drove to the water front to carry his wood and supply to customers and Chief Okuru met him at the Nembe water front and demanded matching ground levy.
He said that on the process of telling him to have little patient, he attacked him with weapons which made him unconscious.
“When Chief Okuru met me at the Nembe/Bonny Jetty, demanding that I should pay him “matching ground”. I told him to give me sometime that I would pay. He refused my pleadings, insisting he wants to collect the money immediately.
“As I walked on, he hit me, I fell on the ground and he brutalized me. I did not know myself until later when I woke up in the hospital.
“I went to Borokiri Police Station to lodge in complain over what happened but till date, nothing has been done. That is why I am calling on the Police to arrest the man. My two point five (2.5) million naira also got missing inside the vehicle on the process”.
Reacting to the accusation, Chief Okuru told our correspondent that Sunday attacked him first when he approached him to pay the community dues in order not to cause problem with some youth of the community.
He explained that it was Sunday who punched him first and he responded in self defense, adding that he was still the one who rushed Sunday to the hospital in the cause of their fight
He, however, alleged that Sunday deals on illegal bunkering products.
Meanwhile, Lawyer from Watch for Justice International Initiative (LAWJII) in a petition addressed to Commissioner of Police, dated October 5, 2022, and signed by Tom Nwoke Esq., called on the Commissioner of Police in Rivers State to intervene with a view to bringing the culprit to book.
The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police command, SP Grace Iringe Koko did not respond to text messages sent by our correspondent to her mobile phone for comment on the matter.
