I was tortured in underground cell, says victim

One of the victims of police brutality in Anambra State, Mr Chisom Uche, on Monday, said he expected police authorities to invite him and other victims of police brutality in the state to testify against some police officers currently undergoing investigation.

Uche said this in an interview with our correspondent on Monday while reacting to the allegations of extrajudicial killings levelled against some police officers in the state.

The officer-in-charge of the Rapid Response Squad in the command,  CSP Patrick Agbazue, was alleged to be a member of a syndicate involved in the alleged kidnapping, torture and murder of citizens.

The Public Relations Officer of Zone 13 Police Headquarters, Ukpo-Dunukofia, SP Nwode Nkeiruka, and Inspector Harrison Akama, who is attached to the RRS in the state, were also indicted in the matter.

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The development has been receiving widespread condemnations and outcry in the state since the incident was brought to the public as residents and various groups called for thorough investigations into the matter, insisting that it must not be swept under the carpet.

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, on Friday set up a special investigation team to investigate allegations of extrajudicial killings, corruption, and high-handedness levelled against the officers.

An anonymous blog, Gistlover, had earlier published a story, alleging that Agbazue was involved in the kidnapping, torture, and murder of citizens.

Uche, a resident of Onitsha, said he was part of those that testified at the #EndSARS panel and up till now, he and members of his family had yet to receive any favourable outcome.

He said, “I was also a victim of police brutality. I went to pick up my brother who came back from abroad in 2018 and as we were driving home, we met some police officers who stopped us at Nkwelle junction.

“After we introduced ourselves, they were not satisfied, they insisted we follow them to the station; two of them, heavily armed, jumped into our vehicle and took us to the Awkwuzu Police Station where we were detained unlawfully and dispossessed of everything we had, including hard currencies.

“There is an underground cell at that Awkuzu police station, where a lot of atrocities are being committed. We were tortured; if not for luck and the huge money they collected from us, we would have been killed.”