MY POLICE BRUTALITY STORY

KEYSTONE BANK, THE NIGERIAN SYSTEM & I

By Chuks Ikedigwe

I was directed by my Boss to rush and hurriedly cash money at BankPHB (as it was called then) on 9th of March, 2011. We discovered we needed more money in the office at the point of leaving the office to site. I got to the Bank’s branch at Thomas Street, Apapa Road, Ebute Metta, Lagos almost immediately as I was sent. The queue wasn’t particularly much. However, the branch only had just 2 Cash and Teller staff attending to customers. But the queue refused to move as the staff busied taking several minutes to attend to one customer. And sometimes allowing jumping of queue by friends and those close them.

When I couldnt take it any longer, I complained to the Cash and Teller staff about the unusual delay. My complain unfortunately coincided with one of those officers in the bank that usually wear white uniform (I don’t know what they call them) coming to that side of the banking hall. I was very surprised when the officer left and after few minutes returned with one of the MOPOL men attached to the bank. The MOPOL guy just approached me and asked me to leave the banking hall immediately. I told him to allow me cash my money and leave since it was almost my turn.

It was as if my pleading to be allowed to cash money before leaving angered him. As he descended on me immediately I dropped my cheque and ID card at the counter. He started beating me. Hit me with the butt of his gun, kicked me all over, threw punches all over my face and head, drew me on the floor and practically flung me out through the security door and I landed on the paved floor outside the bank building. He celebrated his violence on me and promised to come out and continue if I do not leave the bank premises.

While this was happening, none of the staff in the bank did anything to stop him. Both the junior and senior staff looked the other way while the beating lasted. None of them came outside to see the damage done to me. It’s only when my Boss came after endless waiting and his several calls not getting answered for most parts of my ordeal that a staff came out. She pleaded for my Boss to come in and he refused. She is the person that know how she got my money and my ID card.

I spent 2 days in the hospital. On my discharge, I had to go back to the bank to see if I can get the name of the MOPOL. There was no way I can get his name on the day of the ordeal as I could hardly see.

Fortunately, I saw him after the white uniform wearing officer that caused the beating had lied that he didn’t come to work. As I was about leaving, he appeared from the back of the building. I went over to him to ask if he saw my missing items from his beating spree. Of course, I came for his name and possibly his service number and he claiming not to see the items meant nothing to me. I believe he noticed that I was after his name and then said to me ‘’there is nothing you can do. I trust this bank. Nobody in the past has done anything and you can’t do anything’’.

He is Sergeant MUSA SENI and with the name, we were able to file our suit to seek redress about 3 weeks later. I was determined to get justice. And not even his ‘’mouthing’’ of I cant do anything could deter me.

As expected, the MOPOL guy didnt file any defence and wasnt represented but the bank appeared with all manners of lies to defend the indefensible. Of course, their story had its expected holes. We were still in court when ”trouble” changed name. Sorry, I mean when the bank changed its name. I remember we had to borrow to amend our process and serve since we didnt anticipate such additional cost.

The case was moving smoothly at Igbosere High Court until the day the judge handling case announced in an open court that his birthday was in about 2 weeks time. After his Lordship's birthday, everything changed about the case. All kinds of abnormalities came up. Some times he will go to seminar on the day of the case. Other days, he will call when we are already seated for hours to ask that those with ‘’contentious case’’ should pick another date as he will only attend to non-contentious suits (whatever that means). At the end of the day, it will be only our case that is classified as such. Sometimes, one or two other cases will be added to the category not to make it so obvious. The day he will be gracious to listen to us, it will be a battle with us. He will bring technicality upon technicalities. It got so bad that even lawyers that came for other cases in the court will be forced to voice their disapproval. It practically became a battle between the judge and us. All the defence lawyer did was announce his appearance and only answer ‘’yes’’ when the judge ask if he was satisfied with the technicalities he was inventing. Of course, Yes! And who in his right senses will disagree when the judge was the one doing the argument on his behalf?

Since we knew where the case was headed. We had 2 options: allow the judge deliver his unfavourable verdict by dismissing it on technical grounds and we go on appeal or withdraw the case and refile in another court. Of course, we were sure of winning on appeal since his invented technicalities ‘’no carry weights’’. We were also aware that the Appeal Court can only order a retrial in the high court. Thus, we opted for the latter in other to save time and possibly reduce cost.

After few weeks, we were back. Yes! Back to another Nigerian Court in search of justice. This time around, Federal High Court annex at Ikoyi. The famous (abi na infamous?) Justice Okon Abang was the judge. Initially, we were convinced that ‘’samson has finally come to justice’’ under his Lordship. A no non-sense man. A very busy court that stayed till late in the day. The setting for justice was what we saw initially. But like a typically Nigeria initial gra-gra things, reality soon starts to set in after the initial near perfect settings.

If we thought we were saving time by following this route, we were wrong. Time was actually “saving us” by exposing us to the ‘’Nigerian system’’. As our case file soon disappeared from the court. Yes! You heard me well. The case file vanished. Yes！Got missing! Our case file was no way to be found. We initially thought it was maybe a genuine ‘’missing’’ but alas. They claimed to be searching for the file as days soon rolled into weeks and months. While the search went on, our case still get listed but only for mention as the judge only minuted proceedings on a piece of paper. He always advised that we liaise with the court registrar for a proper search. Of course, we kept disturbing the registrar. After a while, the registrar advised I stopped wasting my time by coming to the court. That we will be communicated once the case file is found. He has my number. Ditto for my lawyer. At least it was a relieve instead of leaving work and sitting from morning to night for a minuted proceedings that will only end up on a trash Can. Or so I thought! In all these, I have never failed to imagine how a case file can get missing in a court room that small. The Justice Okon Abang court at Federal High Court annex, Ikoyi remains the smallest court room I have seen till date.

The next time we checked to know the status of the suit and if the case file has been found since we didn’t hear from the court. We discovered that the unexpected has happened. The case has been struck out by the judge. When and how the case file was found for it to have been struck out almost immediately is a question that no one has answered till date. Even the defence lawyer wasn’t in court on the day the case was struck out as he stopped appearing before we were convinced to stop coming too as we didn’t agree to that suggestion initially. So, who moved the motion or who asked for the case to be struck out? Wonders full this country.

We equally tried suing for the 3rd time but the 1st Defendant; MUSA SENI couldn’t be located to be served. The Police authorities refused to collect on his behalf.

THE TRUTH remains that no matter how long this case takes, I will definitely get justice. If the system and the bank fails to give me justice. I will personally take justice to KEYSTONE BANK PLC and MUSA SENI. They can’t treat me less than a slave for merely asking for better service and think they will go scot free. They can’t brutalize me for committing no crime, bribe their way through the system to ensure that justice is also denied and think that is the end? They may have dealt with me then because I was a no body. But will I be a no body forever? Mbanu！They may have succeeded in sending me to hell then because I didn’t have the ‘’muscle’’. Yes! I didn’t have the financial, physical or even the intellectual muscle to fight them back then. But all that is changing. Thanks to God! I am now close to becoming a lawyer. My physical and financial muscle is also growing and that is a sure banker that the stage is getting set for either for justice to be done or for me taking justice to my tormentors of the past.

MUSA SENI –The greatest mistake you made was not killing me like you promised after cocking your gun to shoot.

BANKPHB (now KEYSTONE BANK PLC) – I didnt come to beg money from you. And you werent doing me a favour by allowing me withdraw from our hardearned money. You have also not informed me of the the crime I committed in your bank that made you unleash your MOPOL on me.

The problem with bribing the system to have your way, is you may come back to same office years later to discover ”the system” as changed. That the new system is filled with new people who are no longer interested in ”playing ball”.

Nobody that is my friend or family has ever opened an account with you since this incident. Yes! They can’t be my friends and family and yet banking with my unapologetic and unremorseful tormentors.

THE REALITY is on a due date, you will definitely release the CCTV footage of the incident. But in the interim, just be preparing......For now, make we dey go farm make Yam dey mature.

The good news remains that the last time I checked, this case is not Statute Barred. Till date, I still dont know what crime I committed to be so assulted and brutalized by you. That you even had to engage 2 handsomely paid Chambers to defend.

#EndSARS
#EndMopolBrutality
#EndPoliceBrutality
#EndAllFormsofBrutalityInWorkPlaces
#StopCorporateOrganisationsEngineeredBrutality

Chuks Ikedigwe
can be reached: chukschuciano1@gmail.com ：+234 803 068 8414

It seems all Nigerian Youths have a story to tell about Police Brutality？

But when did it become the duty of external security officer to chase out a customer from a banking hall？

Sorry bro.
Nigeria is a zoo.

Nawa o

Terrible

Very terrible！I believe that justice should be done in situations like this that needs urgent redress even if heaven comes down.

What the victim seems to be asking is for justice to prevail. But who is listening？

#JusticeForChuksIkedigwe