3rd December, 2020
Okafor Ifiebor/Port Harcourt
A Port Harcourt based man, Festus Osuagu, has narrated to Justice Chukwunenye Uriri led Rivers Judicial Commission of Inquiry how he lost ability to walk and his job after he suffered brutality from the police.
Osuagu said he suffered partial memory loss, while his leg and neck were broken when he was attacked by operatives of the defunct Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.
Osuagu who recalled that the incident happened on January, 18th 2018 at No 4, Blessed Young Beke close, off Chibiak Avenue, Eliparanwo, in Port Harcourt, said the SARS operatives swoop on him like armed robbers and he made an unsuccessful attempt to run for his life.
He said, “On the day, I was attacked, I thought they were armed robbers, so I ran into the ceiling of a two storey building in a bid to escape. They followed me into the ceiling and in the process I fell from that height. They carried me and took me to their station.
“That resulted in me not being able to walk well till now. I suffer partial loss of memory and stiff neck as well, till today, I don’t know why I was attacked like that.”
Osuagu said it was only after a superior SARS officer saw his condition and ordered that he should be sent to the hospital that he was moved.
He said he was abandoned afterwards without any explanation on why he was arrested.
He appealed to the Panel to prevail on police authorities to pay him a compensation of N100 million to cushion the effects of his predicament.
“No amount of money will be equivalent to what I am going through; they should award the sum of N100 million to me to cushion the effects of this predicament.”