Afeez Hanafi

A 200-level university student, John Ekefre, has been admitted into the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after policemen from the Iponri division tortured him and damaged his intestine.
He was said to have been operated on to rectify the internal injury and to remove “the blood clots” that blocked his chest as a result of the torture.

His elder sister, Mercy Ekefre, told our correspondent, who visited LASUTH on Tuesday that the family had spent over N200,000 on John’s treatment.
“The doctor said his intestine was ruptured and that he had a blood clot. He had a surgery and we are still awaiting the medical report,” she added.

It was learnt that John, an appendicitis patient who works in a cinema house in Surulere, and four other friends were going for a church programme tagged, The Experience, organised by the House on the Rock at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island, after they had closed from work around 11pm on Friday, December 4.

Our correspondent learnt that John and Anthony Kenkwo, a graduate of a university in Imo State, had waited for three other colleagues, Michael Peter, Godwin Ekeji and Joy Imoh on the fateful day so that they could go for the programme in a group.

It was said that on getting to the Costain area, the vehicle that the young men boarded ran into gridlock and they decided to alight from the commercial bus.
PUNCH Metro gathered that they were walking by the roadside when they were arrested by the policemen, who accused them of robbery.

John, 22, said he and his friends showed the cops their identity cards, but were rebuffed. He said the policemen beat him to a coma when he demanded to know what their offence was.

He said, “I work at a cinema in Surulere. We were on afternoon duty that fateful Friday. We closed around 11pm and left for TBS to attend a church programme – The Experience 10.

“When we got to Costain, we alighted from the bus we boarded because there was gridlock. About five policemen on patrol stopped us and we told them we were going to the church. They searched our bags, but nothing incriminating was found there. They forced us into their bus. We showed them our identity cards, but they ignored us.

“On our way to the station, I asked them what our offence was and they said we were highway robbers. When we got to the station, they dragged me down, beat me up and one of them hit me in the stomach with the butt of his gun.

“They said I was too inquisitive. The following day, they collected N6,000 from my brother before I was released.”
Kenkwo said a policeman pummelled him when he complained that their arrest was not justified. He said he eventually parted with N5,500 before he was release.

He said, “It was a bitter experience. Every Friday and Saturday, we run late night shows. After the close of work, Ekefre and I waited for three other friends from Apapa so that we would go to the programme in a group. The traffic was hectic that night and we decided to disembark from the bus because the guys with us looked stern.

“I also asked the officer who took my statement what I did. But he responded with punches. It was while I was in the cell that I started bleeding from the nose.

“They charged me N10,000 for bail. It was after my brother bargained with them that they collected N5,500. They collected N5,000 from Godwin (Ekeji’s) family, but Joy, the only female among us, was released free.”
Peter told our correspondent that the policemen collected N8,000 before he was released.

Godwin could not be reached but Ekefre confirmed that his (Godwin’s) relatives paid N5,000 for his bail.

A lawyer and President, Citizens Rights Defenders, Chief Gabriel Ojumah, said he had, in a petition dated December 14, urged the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Human Rights Commission “to investigate the matter and bring the erring policemen to book.”

Calls made to the line of the Lagos State police spokesperson, DSP Joe Offor, rang out. He had also yet to reply to a text message sent to his number as of time of filing this report.

www.punchng.com/policemen-beat-up-rupture-churchgoers-intestine/

lalasticlala

Pic: John Ekefre on hospital bed

sad

police brutality

Hmmm

Police brutality wld only stop wen Nigerians begin dealing with d police.

For example, after this student recovers, he takes the policemen who inflicted the injury on him to court and the court sentences d policemen to jail.

Then this nonsense wld be on d decline.

If u are expecting the I.G of Police to do something abt brutality by his men, then u are on a long thing.

All I.Gs of Police have been and would always be the same. They make noise when they are newly appointed and after that, they go back to the status quo.

Solomon Arase is no different.

#Saynotopolicebrutality#

badt

baad

am i suprise No!!! This is Nigeria... My prayer 4 every nairalander is dat we should no have anything 2 do with d men in black

Police is not my friend

Overweight or obessed, check my signature below to find solution

Policemen brutality is now rampant, what is wrong with some of these illiterate policemen sef?

This would have been an unexpected rapture for the believer. Thank God for his merci

Everybody now will look and just make senseless short comments but if it happens in the north, you will see how many people will come out on this thread to cry and wail here especially from their slaves...Mtcheewww

God help us all

Police indeed is ur frnd. Last day policing

Barbarians.

police

Lets stop typing platitudes and actually get something done about these guy's high handedness.

Those officers must either serve appropriate jail term or they should hit them in the stomach too till their intestines get ruptured.

Han Han?!
What is it sef!

Wickedness

Mtcheeeew....naija police self

ETB

And yet someone would tell me we have a government.

g

Nigerian police mtschewww....... Harassin ppl but hav not caught any highway robber since..... Once their dpo gives dem monetary and human targets dey start terrorising..... Police dpos shld stop dis practice of meeting up wif targets dey police darn it

Solomon arase is not fit for the job
buhari shud do something

If only guns were also been sold to civilians i'm sure these dirty cops wouldn't have being this cruel to civilians. Ratatata would have been the judge. Nonsense.