Last week Thursday, 15th Dec, in Awka, in a case of police incompetence and injustice, officers of the Nigerian Police Force broke into the home of a lawyer, Barrister Arinze Nwafor, employed as a State Counsel in the Anambra State Ministry of Justice. They bust down his door, flashed pistols and directly caused his falling off from his balcony on the second floor of a very tall building. Luckily for the lawyer, he sustained no life threatening injury. It was nothing short of miraculous.

The policemen claimed they were acting on information. But they came like criminals at dawn, threatening to kill the brothers if they failed to open the door, and finally breaking down the door when the brothers refused. The ensuing panic caused the falling off of the lawyer from the balcony. It is still unclear if he was pushed off or if he had jumped. Curiously they were from the Fraud Division of the CID but they produced a warrant alleging that the lawyer and his brother, a Nollywood film maker named Ugo Nwafor, were in possession of arms and ammunition, stolen vehicles and hard drugs. I wonder what relation these things have with Fraud Unit Officers. As to the expected, the traumatized film maker led them round the house where they made their search and found nothing, absolutely nothing. But still, these bandits (They did not come in uniforms; they had full beards; they came with a private van; they wore mufti) decided to take their phones, laptops and hard drives containing Nigerian films worth millions of naira. They also brutalized the film maker's eldest brother who was on a visit, putting him in handcuffs for no reason.

However luck had run out of them. Prior to their breaking down the door, everyone had thought they were actually robbers. Calls were being made for the real police to come to the compound's aid. By the time they finished their search, the entire neighborhood had been cordoned off by policemen, armed civil defense officers and anti cult security men from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University. Efforts of these men saved the brothers as they may have been framed up, possibly kidnapped and shot if not for them. Already the matter, through contacts and calls, had been taken to the commissioner of police.

On investigation, it was then learned that the corrupt policemen, numbering 5, may have gone on an illegal duty, trying to raid and fraudulently frame up the young men. The case, as we understand, is under investigation. The lawyer is recuperating in an Orthopedic Hospital. The said policemen were put in detection but it is not clear whether they are still in detention or now released. The Police is illegally holding on to the properties of the lawyer and his brothers without explanations. The matter is far from resolved and may likely land in court as we are currently aware that the Anambra State Government, through The Attorney General and the Commissioner for Justice, is taking charge of the matter.

Police brutality and illegality has dogged the Nigerian Police Force for ages. That's why Nigerians have as much hatred for the police as they have for criminals. We hope that the present government and the present Inspector General should take urgent steps to rid the Police of corruption and fix its image.

As reported by Krimes based on my interview with the lawyer's brother Ugo Nwafor.

Lalasticlala seun ishilove

Please push this to the front. Police Brutality and Illegality Must Stop.

'Police is ur friend'

Sunnymatey:
'Police is ur friend'

'Friends' can kill you sometimes

Hmmm are we really safe in Nigeria so?

Police impunity every time. Animals in uniform.

The Nigerian Police Force and Professionalism

Are from different dimensions

9ja police eehhn! I fear them oooo!! Criminals in uniform ooo!!

Sunnymatey:
'Police is ur friend'

coming from someone who has never witnessed police brutality