Police invade Ihemeje’s family …vandalize family houses beat up occupants, arrest 4 By Chukwuemeka Ike For the Ihemeje’s family of Umunwangwo Umumbazu Autonomous Community, September 6, 2013 can never be forgotten in a hurry as the Nigeria Police invaded their homes by 2am leaving on its trails vandalized houses beat up a pregnant women, nursing mother and carting away personal properties. Conducting Citystar round the vandalized houses, the head of the Ihemeje family Mr. Sunday Ihemeje said that his own house was intruded by some policemen numbering about 20 around 2.30am. Mr. Ihemeje said “at about 2.30am on September 6, 2013”I heard open that door we are police if you run I will kill you”. The next thing I heard was bangs on the building and we got confused and scared. They went to my junior brother’s apartment and when they could not break through I heard them say; bring that ladder he is inside. They used the ladder and claimed into the apartment, broke the ceilings searched the house but found nothing” Continuing, he said, “they went to my tenant’s apartment Mr. Samuel fondly called Nwangnwa. When he told them that he is a tenant, they told him that he will explain when he gets to the police station “. Mr. Ihemeje said, before then they have arrested one Chika, his wife another person. In the morning he went on my junior brother’s wife Mrs. Salome Ihemeje came to me and reported that police invaded their house at about 2am and I told her that they also came to my house”. I followed her and saw the level of vandalization to their building and when I asked about their two cars, she told me that the police took them away to their station. I therefore, asked her which police station, but she said she does not know as they did not tell. Mr. Ihemeje said he had no option than to call his President-General to come and see what has befallen them. When the PG came and saw the level of damage Mr. Ihemeje continued he said this has gone beyond police arrest and advised me to report the matter to our traditional ruler which I did and our Eze said the PG and myself should go and find out which police station the Police team came from. “We went and found out that those vehicles are packed at the state CID. When the PG asked what the problem is, they said they are working on a petition against my younger brothers who were accused of being kidnappers and armed robbers” Mr. Ihemeje recalled an incident in their village Umunwangwo when one of their sons summoned the village to complain of the awkward happenings within the youths organization and called for its reshuffling. That done, interim officials were selected to oversee the organization pending a formal election. The selected officers include Mr. Ugochukwu as leader, Franklyn as task force chairman and one George. According to Mr. Ihemeje, the change of guard did not go down well with the former Chairman Mr. Chidi aka Echo. And this marked the beginning of misunderstanding. He disclosed how a youth of the village was reported dead following a row with the caretaker committee chairman. The case he said was resolved which he pointed out that he never knew how it was resolved. He expressed surprise that the police is yet to inform them who the petition writer is and called on the police to dig deep into the case to unreveal the truth of the whole matter. Also speaking to Citystar, Mrs Akudo Chima who said she visited her sister Mrs Salome Ihemeje for a bed rest, was assaulted by the invading police who after breaking into the family house of Mr. Chibuzor beat her up despite her plea that she is pregnant, took all her money and handset. Mrs. Chima narrated her ordeal in the hands of the police team whom she said stormed the house at about 2.00am breaking down the Iron gate and ceilings of the rooms and ransacking the entire house. In her own narration Mrs Salome Ihemeje who collaborated the story of her sister said the police collected from her the sum of N6000 being the money she won from raffle plus the sum of N50,000.00 her husband gave her before traveling. She also said her handset, her ATM, two vehicles, and a generator were among items removed from their house. When Citystar contacted the Police Public Relations Officer DSP Joy Elomoko, the confirmed that men of the Police swooped on a family that has been reported to be terrorizing Nekede. She said the police had studied their report for about three weeks before striking and added that the police reserved the right to chose the time to strike a target to ensure result. The PPRO said the items including mobile phones recovered are still with the police and investigation into the matter will soon commence.
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 11:17:27 +0000
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