The Anambra State Police command has said that there is no truth in the report that alleged that Policemen attached to the command’s Special Anti-Robbery Squad beat up a 98-years old woman, Cecilia Okpalaku of Achina in Aguata LGA of Anambra State and assaulted her with Ak-47 rifle over a family dispute.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Haruna Mohammed who issued out a disclaimer on the alleged attack stated that the publication was not only false but totally misleading.
“The real fact in issue was that on the 19 August, 2019, the Commissioner of Police received a formal complaint from a legal practitioner that his client, one Esther Nzekwe was assaulted by her fiancée, one Emeka Okpalaku and that the man also confiscated her credentials including her NYSC call up letter in order to prevent her from reporting to NYSC camp which dateline closes on the 20 August, 2019.
“The complainant further alleged that the suspect was planning to travel back to Japan where he based.
“Following the petition, the Commissioner of Police, CP John B.Abang ordered for a full scale investigation into the matter. Police detectives visited the house to invite the suspect but as soon as he sighted the Police, he quickly ran inside the house and locked all the entrances.
“All efforts by the Police to prevail on the suspect to open the doors proved abortive until the police used power of ingress in accordance with section 7(1&2) CPA laws of the Federation to gain access into the house but the suspect eventually escaped.
‘Consequently, the Police equally rescued a one year old daughter of the complainant who was equally locked inside the house and left crying without care.
“Till date the suspect is still on the run and has not returned the credentials he forcefully collected from the lady while investigation is still ongoing.
“The command is wondering why the very person who allegedly assaulted a woman and deprived her from participating in the National Youth Service will be the very person spreading falsehood that police assaulted a 98 year old woman using AK-47 rifle which was totally false and unfounded”, the command’s PPRO said.
He however enjoined the public to ignore such publications which he said was aimed at raising false alarm and casting aspersions against the Force in order to divert attention from the real facts in issue.
It was reported that Policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Anambra State Police command had allegedly beaten up a 98-year-old woman, Cecilia Okpalaku of Achina in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state, over a family dispute.
It was gathered that the incident happened when the cops invaded the family home of one Emeka Okpalaku in Achina on the invitation of his estranged wife, Chiemerie Nzekwe, from the same local government area.
Emeka, a Japan-based businessman, according to the report, was married to Esther from Uga some years back. While Emeka was in Japan, Esther and their daughter stayed back in Achina with the mother-in-law, Cecilia.
A family source, who begged not to be named said, “Emeka was occasionally visiting home to see his wife and daughter. But trouble started when the husband visited home recently and observed certain strange things. It was Esther’s inability to explain some of these things that made Emeka to threaten to opt out of the marriage.
“Emeka, having sent his wife away, left their only daughter in the custody of his nonagenarian mother, Cecilia. His embattled wife stormed the husband’s place in Achina with some SARS operatives to forcefully take away their daughter.”
It was alleged that the SARS operatives assaulted Cecilia in the process as she tried to stop them from taking away the child.
The nonagenarian’s family has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for his intervention in the matter.
Photo: Commissioner of Police, Anambra State, CP John Abang.
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