Policemen Celebrated Our Son’s Death With Beer – Family Cries

The Uchenwoke family in Mbosi,
Ihiala, Anambra State and the state
Chapter of Civil Liberties
Organisation, have petitioned the
Inspector General of Police,
Solomon Arase, accusing the police
in the state of allegedly clubbing
40-year-old Mr Nonso Uchenwoke
to death.
The family, who said the incident
occurred at Okpoko, on the
outskirts of Onitsha, alleged that
the policemen who killed Nonso
were seen celebrating it over some
bottles of beer.
Narrating the tragic story, the elder
brother of the deceased, Calistus,
said his brother was killed by a
team of policemen from Okpoko
Police Station on Friday night (last
week) following a disagreement
between him (Nonso) and his
neighbour, one Ada Ekwueme, who
was said to be a police woman.
Callistus maintained that Ekwueme
had brought her colleagues from
Okpoko Police Station and took
them to the deceased’s house,
where they gave him a thorough
beating.
He said, “At the heat of the beating
of my younger brother, his
neighbours at Udeaja/Ibe Street,
East Niger Layout in Okpoko called
me on the telephone to rush to the
place, but before I could arrive at
the scene, Nonso was already lying
on the ground unconscious with the
policemen watching him.
“When I met the policemen led by
one Obiakor and demanded to
know the crime my brother
committed, which made them to
beat him to coma, he (Obiakor) did
not want to listen to me.”
Callistus said when he wanted to
take his brother to a nearby
hospital to save his life, the
policemen refused and insisted that
they would take him to the police
station.
He maintained that while he was
pleading with the police, another
contingent of policemen led by a
Divisional Crime Officer arrived
with more patrol vans full of cops.
Callistus said pleas from people
around, including the President-
General of the community, Mr. John
Ngerem, could not persuade the
policemen.
“Instead, the DCO ordered his men
to carry the unconscious Nonso into
their vehicle and take him away.
“We only heard from the DPO,
Kayode Olabanji, later that my
younger brother had died and that
they had deposited his remains at
Beks Hospital morgue.
“Upon inquiries, it was gathered
that the policemen took my brother
to the police station that night and
dumped him under that
unconscious state in the cell against
my plea to take him to the hospital
for medical attention.”
The Civil Liberties Organisation in
Anambra State in a joint petition
with the family to the Inspector-
General of Police, said, “When we
went to the station to see the DPO,
the police culprits were busy
drinking beer at a joint near the
station, contrary to what the DPO
told us that they had been arrested
and detained.”
In the petition signed by the Vice
Chairman of CLO, Mr. Alex Olisa,
and the Legal Secretary, Comrade
Justus Ijeoma, they asked the IGP to
carry out investigation into the
matter and ensure that those found
culpable were brought to justice.
When contacted, the Okpoko DPO
referred Southern City News to the
State Police Public Relations
Officer, Ali Okechukwu.
“I am not in a position to talk to
you on this matter. We have
transferred the matter to the State
Police Command. When you talk
with the PPRO, there, you will know
how far we have gone”, the DPO
said.
When the PPRO was contacted, he
said, “I cannot talk on the matter
because there is no case involving a
police woman and his neighbour on
my table.”