From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri

The Traditional Ruler of Uzoubi Umuna community in Orlu Local council Area of Imo State, Eze Boniface Chigere Okereke has narrated how he was beaten up by the officers of the Nigeria police.
This is even as the monarch disclosed that he had been restraining the youths of community from taking any action pending when the commissioner of police takes action to fish out those who ridiculed, and subjected him to such shame and dishonor.
The Monarch stated that he was tortured, embarrassed and treated like a common miscreant before his subjects by policemen at the peak of the crisis that rocked some communities in Orlu Local Government Area which had led to the imposing of curfew by the state government in ten local governments in the Orlu senatorial zone.
According to Okereke: “On Wednesday, January 27, 2020, at about 2:00pm, I was returning from a meeting of Orlu council of traditional rulers, held at the palace of the traditional ruler of Umudioka Ancient Kingdom, Eze Thomas Obiefule. I branched to my office at No. 5 L.N Obioha street, also in Uzoubi, Umuna. I met a team of mobile policemen who ordered me to come out of my car or they would shoot me and forced me to lie down on the floor in presence of my subjects.”

“Also, inspite of my explanation to that effect and my appearance as an elderly man, the police men pointed their guns at me and ordered me to get down from the car and lie down on the ground for more than 8 minutes in public glare before one of them intervened and told me to get up.

“This is the height of disrespect to me, my community and the traditional institution”, he lamented.

Okereke,77, lamented that despite his age, the policemen were ready to flog him for coming out not minding that curfew was only imposed between 6pm and 6am.

“So, I’m calling on the police hierarchy in Imo State to investigate this allegation and necessarily call their men to order. I am still bearing the humiliation, with pain and grief”,he lamented.