A businessman, Mr. Ocheze Onumaegbu, has recounted how a police Sergeant shot him at Chokocho police station in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Speaking with ABIA ONLINE in an exclusive interview, Mr. Onamaegbu, who said he deals in both fishery and poultry farms and shuttles through places in Rivers State, said the incident happened in December 12, 2015 at a police station in Etche.
He explained that a one of his supposed friend, who is a police officer attached to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad unit (SARS), had offered to introduce him to his ‘Oga’ for security and safety purposes as he carried out his business in the then volatile Etche area.
He added appointment was made on that fateful day and he went looking for his friends.
He said: “On reaching there, I called him to inform him that I was at the place he said I should come, I waited for them for about 20 minutes until they eventually appeared.”
“So he said I should follow them behind in my own car, which I did till we got to their camp, when we got there, he showed me where to pack my car and I did.”
Mr. Onumaegbu said they got there, the DPO asked his friend who he was and he told him he his brother and that had come to introduce to him to the DPO.
On the DPO’s demand, he introduced himself that he a businessman, that he wanted him to familiarize with me so that I could have security coverage whenever I come around to do business.
On DPO’s request, hebtold him that he was businessman from Imo State, while the DPO himself told him that he was from Uguta, that he should not worry that they are brothers.
The DPO, also told himbto always call on him anytime he was around the area and assured him of every protection.
However, as they continued in their discussion, one inspector came and took a seat closely beside him (Mr. Onumaegbu).
“He sat very close to me, kept his gun on his laps with the mouth of the gun pointing directly towards my rips by the other side of it. When I observed that I called his attention to it. ‘Oga, this one you are pointing your gun directly at my stomach, why not point it on the ground?’ He laughed over it and changed the direction and pointed it to the ground,” he said.
He continued: “In the meantime, my discussion with the DPO continued, but before you know it, the same person changed the direction of the gun to point directly at my stomach again, as I observed it, I asked him again, oga, you are still pointing that gun at my direction, as he was about to laugh, he releases the trigger, that was how I was shot at, the bullets entered through one side of my body and came out through the other end.”
He explained that at the sound of the gun all the officers inside the station ran outside the room, downstairs including the person that brought him to the DPO and that he was left all alone in the pool of his own blood. He observed, however, that the DPO stayed behind arranging all the guns left behind by the other officers who ran away and packing them and taking them inside.
He said, after he had removed all guns, he ordered those downstairs to come upstairs and they came, carried him from up there to downstairs as he kept shouting with the little breathe he had got, ‘Jesus! Is this how I have died!’
The man also observed that when the youths of the village got wind of what had happened, he rushed into the barracks, but were rebuffed by the SARS officials who took him away in their Hilux Van to a hospital and dumped him.
He explained further: “When the doctor opened my stomach, saw my damaged bones, he said to my hearing that I would not survive that. The immediately recommended that I be taken to the UPTH, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. That was the last word I could remember and I went into coma for seven days. Whatever happened after, my wife could be in a better position to say.”
On whether he suspected any was a planned conspiracy, Mr. Onumaegbu said: The only I could say is that, I observed as I was still struggling on the floor that my so called brother told the inspector that shot at me, that what I had in my pocket was money and that he should bring the money. So the inspector came, searched and collected the #80 thousand naira as that was the amount in my pocket. One of my guys who also ran away in that pandemonium saw as he was taking the money, rushed and gave him a blow, the money fell off his hand, querying him said, ‘ so you don’t have conscience, after what you have done, you still have the mind to rob him of his money?’ he picked up the money and that was the first money used in admitting me in the hospital.”
At UPTH then, the doctor there could not treat me because the hospital staff had embarked on strike, so the doctor recommended a hospital for us for initial operation, we spent about #2.5 million naira for the operation.
Six years down the line, the victim said he was still in pains, paralyzed the waist down, and now wear pampers everytime. He said
he had sold everything he had and could no longer afford any money now another surgery which he said has been recommended the discovery of blood clots inside his body.
Mr. Onumaegbu equally explained that he later dragged the police to court over the incident and luckily won the case whereby the court ordered the police to pay for damages but regretted that up till this moment, nothing has been done to that effect even after serving the police with the court ruling.
The Imo State born businessman is however appealing to both the government and public spirited individuals to come to his aid.
He wants the government to also prevail on the Nigeria Police Force to pay the damages to enable travel abroad for second and possibly final operation that would remove the blood clots in his system.
He said: “As it stands now, I could not afford to do anything, I have sold all my property, my church has equally been helpful and they can’t do anything again, I’m pleading that every one should come to my aid.”
Also speaking, the wife of the victim, Mrs Onyinyechi Ocheze said they need all the assistance from Government and public spirited individuals to enable her husband undergo surgery abroad to enable him live his normal life again.
Mrs. Ocheze, who spoke with tears on her eyes regretted that the inability of the Police to obey the court judgement on payment of damages has equally affected the family whom she said could no longer afford to eat talk more of pay the bills on a monthly check up basis.
Mrs. Ocheze said: “From then till now we have tried everything we could and have spent money on millions. He has been in severe pains all these years, for example, from his waist down does work, he is paralyzed from waist down. As the bread winner of the family including the extended family, he could no longer work nor do anything to provide for the family.
“Every check up takes us about #30 monthly and we could no longer afford to that because he has sold all he’s got and nothing is remaining even to feed is a problem.
“We are appealing to the Nigeria Police Force to release the payment for damages as was got from the court judgement. Government and other well spirited individuals should come to our aid, they should prevail on the Police to release his money so we could take fly him abroad for the next surgery to enable him come back well again.
“As for me, as a young woman, I need to have more children, we have only given birth to two daughters and since then till now as a very young lady I have tried to endure the cold nights and I need him well and healthy again. So government should come to our aid. I no longer have joy in me seeing that my husband is constantly in pains, watching him cry morning and night, I can no longer stand this, I plead for assistance from everyone including the Police themselves.
“I am now the only support he has if he wants to move a bit and I could no longer bear it.”
