Police brutalize ’96 Olympic champion, Mobi Oparaku



February 14, 2013 | 8:45 pm

Sports

BY CHIDI NKWOPARA, Owerri

The 1996 Olympic Football Gold Medalist, Mr. Mobi Oparaku, was Thursday afternoon brutalized by about seven armed policemen for yet to be disclosed reasons.

The ugly incident played out at about 1.35pm, near 5 Rotibi Street, Owerri, which houses media organizations in the municipality.



MD Abubakar, Police IG

At the end of the ordeal,Mr. Oparaku had a bleeding mouth, a torn T-shirt and myriad of pains emanating from the serious beating he received from the rampaging policemen led by one Inspector of Police, Mr. Ochiang.

When Vanguard immediately sought an explanation on why his men brutalized Oparaku, the police inspector declined comment and ordered his men to enter the vehicle and left the bleeding footballer to his fate.

Addressing journalists after, the ace football player said he was returning to his ancestral home, Umuonyeche, Owerri, preparatory to visiting his inaws.

“My only contact with the policemen was when the driver of the patrol van asked me if the road was a one way and I replied in the negative. Thereafter, other armed policemen started beating me and even wanted to force me into their patrol van”, Oparaku lamented.

When contact for his comments, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Vitalis Onugu, a deputy superintendent of police, appealed to Vanguard to “ask the victim to come to my office immediately”.