Maduako Igbokwe l Tuesday, December 01, 2020
ONITSHA, Anambra, Nigeria – A rice miller, Mr. Ugochukwu Ekwunugo on Tuesday narrated how policemen from Ajalli police station in Orumba North Council, invaded his rice mill in the afternoon of November 4,2017, shot him twice and abandoned him to die. Ekwunugo told the panel that he approached the court to claim damages but that his assailant never showed up.
In the statement he filled before the panel on police brutality headed by Hon justice Veronica Umeh sitting in Awka, Ekwunugo narrated that while at his work place at Oganiru Cooperative Rice Mill, Omogho that fateful day a police patrol van marked No. 202 from Ajalli Police Divisional Headquarters arrived the scene at 3.30pm and used their vehicle to block the only entrance to the mill.
His plea to the police driver to move the vehicle so that customers can come in earned him insults from the leader of the team who ordered Sergeant Emmanuel Agodo to shoot and kill him.
Taking his boss’ order, Agodo shot Ekwunugo first in the left arm and as he tried to run away he again shot him on the waist “from behind and the bullet went out through the side of his stomach. When Ekwunugo’s brother went for police report to facilitate his treatment, he was denied same and he had to go to Oko Police Station to obtain one.
This enabled him to receive treatment at Amaku General Hospital, Awka and later Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Awka. Led in evidence by his counsel, Mr. J. V. C. Okoli, Mr. Ekwunugo said he spent N421, 200.00 on hospital bills.
He prayed the panel to award him N150 million in general and exemplary damages against the defendants. However, Ekwunugo had earlier gone to court in suit No AG/93/2017, presided over by the Hon. Justice O. A. Ezeike, but the police refused to show up throughout the proceedings which eventually ended in the plaintiff’s favour.
The police neither appeared in court, nor called any witness to testify on its behalf. This left the plaintiff’s evidence and final written address before the Court for consideration. Counsel to Ekwunugo,J.V.C.Okoli said his client resorted to the panel because the police displayed nonchalance and if not compelled will not pay the damages. Counsel to police Innocent Obi, a Superintendent of Police told the panel that he did not object to his statements.
