OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF JUDGE OF THE FEDERATION/INSPECTOR GENERAL OF
POLICE (IGP)

       Asaba Autonomous Community
       Uzo-Uwani LGA.
        Enugu State

Sir,

DEMAND FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT/COMPENSATION AND APOLOGY OVER ILLEGAL DETENTION BY DSP LONGINNUS CHUKWUEGU AND DSP AJIBO CLEMENT WHO ARE THE DPO AND DCO RESPECTIVELY OF ADANI POLICE STATION IN UZO-UWANI LGA. OF ENUGU STATE.


1.      My name is Nwankwo Philip, I hail from Asaba Autonomous Community in Uzo-Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State. I am (74) seventy four years old, a retired Primary School Teacher and now a peasant
farmer.
2.      On 22/04/17 I was in my farm when a team of police officers comprising DPO, DCO, and other heavily armed policemen in a Hilux van from Adani Police station who came and arrested me and threw me like fire wood into their vehicle. The rationale behind the inhuman arrest was not communicated to me and I was not allowed to communicate my
people. I felt chilled all over my body because of the way I was manhandled despite my old age. I thought they were kidnappers in
Police disguise. My mind relaxed a bit when I saw myself in a police cell where I also saw two boys from my community namely Okafor
Chukwudi and Abuchi Ozoemena under detention.
3.      On 23/04/17 we were conveyed to Enugu-Ezike police station in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State where we were detained over night before conveying us to Nsukka prison where we were incarcerated for 14 days and were later released.  During the days of our incarceration, I was in a perplex condition and left to suffer psychological trauma. I became seriously sick coupled with the treatment I received from the criminal prison inmates who do not have respect for age. Nobody informed me of my offence and my statement was not recorded at the police station. In fact I have never experienced such in my life.

THE CRUX OF OUR INCARCERATION
4.      It was when we came back from prison that I heard that our arrest was in connection with the drafting of our community constitution. Our community is made up of four villages and the entire community reached a consensus where it was agreed that the traditional stool of our Monarch be rotated among the four villages.
        About seven persons from Umuonoja village where the present traditional ruler hails from disagreed with the consensus reached, and were insisting on the contrary. However, the entire community subsequently nominated constitutional drafting committee members to
draft a constitution for the entire community.
        On the day the drafted constitution was read to the entire community, little did we know that the disgruntled few, who are in
opposition, had arranged officers from Adani police station to come and disorganize the occasion and arrested nine persons including some nominated members of the constitution drafting commitee.

        The DPO and DCO demanded N50,000.00 for the bail of each person but after much bargaining and pleading they collected the sum of N69,000.00 and still complained that it is too small but after
having seen that our people are unwilling to add more money, they reluctantly released them after detaining them for more than 24 hours.
Our people petitioned Area Police Command Nsukka for further investigation.

On the day the IPO from Area Police Command Nsukka came to Adani with
signal to collect case file. The DPO was not happy for the transfer and in apprehension of being foreclosed from further arrest and
extortion of money in the case. He cleverly manufactured suave fallacy to deceive the Area Commander on phone by telling him that the case was already in court. When the IPO left, he quickly went to court on same day being 23/03/17 in Adani Magistrate court  and registered a charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace in suit No MUZ/15c/17 against the nine accused persons without informing them of the arraignment. On 27/03/2017 one of the accused persons by name Okafor Chukwudi was arrested and charged to Chief Magistrate Adani in suit No. MUZ/16c/2017 for failure to appear in court on 24/03/17 on a purported arraignment notice dated 20/03/17.

The defence lawyer informed the court that the crux of the case was about community constitution, that there was a pending petition at Area police command Nsukka. The court having noticed the watery nature of the charge, directed that the case be transferred to Area command Nsukka for further investigation. After that day’s sitting, Enugu
State judiciary went on strike.

While making statement at Area command Nsukka, police officers from PCB Enugu came and arrested them and took them to police headquarters Enugu for interrogation and after hearing from them, they were immediately released on bail. On the subsequent invitations both at Area command and PCB Enugu, the accused persons were punctual while those that reported them were absent throughout.

Immediately the Enugu State judiciary called off the strike, same day, the DPO Adani and his men came and arrested me in my farm and the next place I found myself was in the Nsukka prison yard.  How the DPO
deceived the magistrate to sign my remand warrant is still perplex and strange to me and from the boasting of the few disgruntled
recalcitrant deviant in our community, I guest that it is only surreptitious greasing of palm can perform the magic which is subject
for investigation.

5.      What baffled me most was that I was not among those arrested before, nor was I a member of the constitutional drafting committee, and even if I was, is it an offence? I was not arraigned in court, bench warrant was not issued against me. I was not told of my offence and yet I was incarcerated at Nsukka prison where I received serious
inhuman treatment from the criminal inmates who does not have respect for age. My only offence was that I came from one of the village in support of rotational Monarchy.

Sir, my story sounds incredible but it is true. My annoyance is that my constitutional right was violated and I was sent to prison without
due process: (a) From Adani Police cell in Uzo Uwani LGA. where the alleged incidence took place, we were further transferred to Enugu
Ezike in Igbo-Eze North L.G.A. Police cell (b) we were not arraigned in any law court, (c) no charges was read to us, (d) we were incarcerated at Nsukka Prison for 14 days. (e) During our 14 days of incarceration, we were denied access to visitors/relations and
medication, remember, I am 74 years old.

 Upon our release from incarceration, we were interviewed by three journalists from news houses and I learnt that the incidence was
published on page 25 of Vanguard newspaper of 14th June, 2017, in page 15 of Daily Times newspaper of 29th May, 2017 and Independent newspaper of 6th June, 2017.

6.      Since I was released from prison, I have been down in health as a result of the inhuman treatment I received from the criminal inmates and my health and anger were worsened by the loud boasting of the DPO and the DCO, “threatening that nothing will happen and that if we like, we should petition God, that they are HIGHLY CONNECTED and nobody CAN DO ANYTHING to them not until they wish to leave Adani
Po;ice division, and the DPO is fond of calling us POOR WAWA People.

        Sir, I want to notify you that there is high propensity of human right abuse, incivility and cruelty to the public and high level of monetary extortion by the police since this wicked DPO assumed office last year 2016 in Adani Police Station and if you did not
intervene, it is only almighty God that can save us from his hand.

 In fact his popular name in Adani is DPO N10, 000.00. Because no matter how little an offence is, he cannot release or let go until you part with an amount not less than N10,000.00. And even if the offence is civil he will transform it to a criminal case.

PRAYERS

7.      I request you to investigate this report and if found to be a false allegation, let me be dealt with accordingly, but if found authentic
let both the DPO and DCO be compelled to offset the accumulated medical bills and also assuage me with an open letter of apology in
three national dailies.

Sir, my confidence will be restored and I will be better and happier to see this report treated with utmost urgency in other to calm
flaying nerves and as well as to pacify the boiling hearts of the youths, who the elders of the community had been pleading not to go on
rampage.


Thanks in anticipation for your prompt action.

Yours sincerely,

Nwankwo Philip
08169887706
        or
07084629755

Cc.
1.      IGP
Force Headquarters
Abuja.

2.      Ass. IGP
        Zone 9 Umuahaia
        Abia State.

3.      Chairman,
Nigeria Police Service Commission
Abuja.

4.      Area Commander,
Nigeria Police,
Area Command,
Nsukka

5.      Rapid Response Unit,
Nigeria Police
Force Headquarters
Abuja.

6.      Commissioner of Police,
        Police Headquarters
        Enugu State.