By Jude Chinedu, Enugu
The wife of the traditional ruler of Ihekwuenu autonomous community in Aku, Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State, Martina Okwor, has cried out over the gestapo style invasion of her compound by police officers.
She said that her husband, Christopher Okwor, was severely beaten and dragged away half naked by officers who swooped in on them at about 10:30pm on Thursday.
Recall that the traditional ruler was suspended by Enugu State government for allegedly demolishing a blind man’s one-room bungalow, an allegation he has since denied explaining that it was all a ploy by one Barr. Ezemagu to grab him land.
Mrs Okwor who narrated how the incidence unfolded recalled that they had two visitors who were just about leaving before they started hearing loud banging on their gate.
She said that the traditional ruler, out of curiosity asked the servants who could be hitting the gate but was told that no occupant of the house was still outside. She said that soon afterwards, they noticed that the men had scaled the fence and were banging on the door.
“When Igwe asked them to identify themselves, they refused and threatened to deal with us when they gain access. They where hitting the door with iron. We even thought they were armed robbers.
“They succeeded in pulling down the burglary proof in my room window. One of them entered and opened the door for the rest. When they came in, they started beating us. One of them pointed a gun on my husband’s head threatening to kill him. They pushed me I hit my head on the freezer and one of them used the gun to heat my husband on the chest and they dragged us outside.
“My husband was only putting on his boxer and a singlet when they dragged us into a waiting van outside the compound. They also beat our visitors. Outside the gate I saw, Uchenna Ezemagu, Nnamdi Ezemagu and Ifechukwu Ezemagu who have been having land issues with my husband.”
She said that the officers had said that they were taking them to Police Area Command in Udenu but when they got to Obechara junction, they changed direction to Enugu where they were detained at Anti Kidnapping Unit of the Police force.
“They seized our phones from the moment they forcefully dragged us out till this afternoon when one man from Aku, Mathias Mbah gave me my phone. They released me in the morning but said they are taking my husband to Abuja. They wanted to take my husband’s statement but he refused because they were yet to tell him his offence.
“I’m am afraid because the people in Abuja have told us that he is not in Abuja. I’m more concerned because of his health.”
When contacted on Friday, Enugu Police spokesman, Daniel Ndukwe, said the officers who conducted the operation where not from Enugu Command but on investigative assignment from Force headquarters, Abuja.