Godwin Udoh, Asaba
It beat my imagination some time in this country call Nigeria where security agents that are meant to protect its citizens turn around to assault and humiliate them.
As police brutality on innocent citizens continue unabated, a power-drunk Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the Delta State Governor and the son to the traditional ruler of Owa kingdom, CSP George Onyise Efeizomor, has allegedly unleashed terror on three artisans; Ola Coker, Emma Coker and Andy Okeibunor.
On Firday, November 1, 2019, House on the Rock Church along Delta Broadcasting Service (DBS) road, Asaba. When the CSO abandoned his duty post for lunch at a rickety local food vendor to eat his native soup called Ofejuju and pounded yam, while his driver blocked the entrance to a mechanic workshop in same premises.
It was gathered that the mechanic, Mr. Ola Coker, who was on a test drive of a customer’s car returned and discovered that the entrance to his workshop was blocked, he decided to park awaiting the occupants of the vehicles.
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An eyewitness, Chindu Nwabueze, said the CSO discovered that his car was blocked and requested to know who blocked his car. Mr. Coker emerged and was trying to explain to the son of Obi Emmanuel Efeizomor when the CSO allegedly ordered his junior officer to slap Coker.
On sighting the way and manner his elder brother was treated by the CSP, who was in mufti, Emma Coker, a panel beater, accused Okowa’s CSO for being unfair to his brother but he got two slaps that landed him at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba.
Also, another artisan who repairs vehicles air conditioner, Mr. Andy Okeibunor, who also tried to wade into the matter, was not spared, as the CSO allegedly pounced on him.
It was learnt that the artisan was allegedly beaten with boots before he was moved to GRA Police Station in the Hilux van the Red Beret officers came in and was detained.
Furtheremore, the Cokers, however, escaped the second round of beating, as they left before the Red Beret officers arrived the scene and and almost lynched another artisan, a welder, on the same premises for daring to ask questions.
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the son of the Delta North monarch cum Chairman, Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, Ola Coker, said: “Yes, we were beaten in my shop. i oarked a car the owner asked me to test drive it. and went out. When I came back, I saw two cars parked behind the car I was meant to repair. However, I had another customer whose car I parked beside the two vehicles I saw at my workshop. I asked my people around who parked the two cars in front of my workshop and they told me they did not know.
“Then I began to hear a loud voice, shouting ‘who parked this car here’. When I saw him, I explained to him that I asked about the cars but no one said anything. He then told his orderly to slap me and he did. Then my brother came out and asked him why he told his orderly to slap me. Immediately, he slapped my brother too and beat up many people.
“As soon as this happened, people gathered and he started calling Red Beret people. Then we decided to leave. The AC man, Andy Okebunor, pleaded with him to stop but he took him to the police station.
“I did not know who he was before until he called the Mopol officer to slap me. It is then that people around started saying he is the CSO of Government House. He threatened and even told me that he would shoot me and throw my body away. People gathered and pleaded with him but he remained adamant.”
Asked what transpired when the Red Beret officers arrived the scene, Ola said: “He carried the AC man to the police station. At the end of the day, we had to bail the AC man with N10, 000. He has never repaired a car in this workshop but he comes here to eat.
“After the beating, I started feeling unwell. I had to buy some drugs as soon as I got home. Before that time I took my brother, Emma Coker, to the hospital.
“I have treated myself and I feel better. I did not lodge a report against him because of his threat that he was going to shoot me and nothing would happen.
“A day after the incident, one of my customers saw me and asked me what happened. I told him about what happened and he took the case further. I was interviewed on the issue and we met Human Rights people and I told them my story. Commissioner of Police is aware because we have written a petition now.
“I am surprised that it feels like a poor man cannot live in this country because when people are in power they begin to oppress people. They are making things difficult for artisans because they treat us without respect.
“I have been an artisan for 21 years. The insult is too much; they should try to make laws to protect people like us. They should come and help me because the situation was unfair. He told me if he shoots me, no one will ask him because this is his town. He told me he is the son of a king.
“When I found out he was the Chief Security Officer in Government House, I wondered if he was sent. My brother is still in the hospital because his two eyes were affected as a result of the beating. He is at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, but I want to take him to another hospital because I feel there is no progress. I cannot count how much I have spent on myself not to talk of my brother and Andy, who were brutally beaten,” Coker explained.
Also, Mr. Okeibunor, the air conditioner repairer, said his sin was asking questions on why the son of the Obi of Owa, would allegedly mete out inhumane treatment to law abiding citizens.
He said: “when I saw the way the CSO was beating up Coker, I decided to approach the officer and he slapped me. He told me that this is his land and I said I have been here for about 20 years now.
“It was at that time he made the call and five police officers with Hilux van arrived and he pointed at me to them, saying that I was the one challenging him. They beat me, stamped on my chest and threw me onto the back of the Hilux van. He too came to stamp on me before they took me to the GRA Police Station.”
According to him, one of his customers brought out N5, 000 and he added another N5, 000, totaling N10, 000, which the DPO allegedly collected for his bail.
He expressed sadness over the situation despite that all of them in the premises voted for the governor during the 2019 governorship election.
“I am not happy. For two days, I didn’t come to work. I lost several jobs on that day. I am still suffering from the shock, as I talk to you, I have not been able to compose myself. All of us here have PVCs and we voted for the governor. I don’t think anybody here voted for APC. I don’t know why someone in the government would come and beat us where we find our daily bread.”
He called the government to adequately compensate those beaten and injured.
Meanwhile, some of the respondents, who also expressed their worries said the attitude of the officer contributed majorly to the reasons young boys no longer learn handwork.
They said the intimidation from those in power drove many young boys into “Yahoo Yahoo, armed robbery” just to get rich quick. “We are not Yahoo boys. This is where we get our daily bread to feed our families,” they wept.
They also lamented that the owner of rickety structure from Agbor, was told during a meeting that since she has large customers she should clear the bush behind her structure where car owners, who come to eat could park without obstructing the businesses of others, which she turned deaf ears to till date.
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Investigation, however, revealed that the CSO’s lawyers are allegedly lobbying victims of his alleged brutality for settlement, as they have entered into a peace talk.
But an activist, Mr. Victor, has vowed that he would get to the root of the matter for justice to take its course while the CSO should be used as a scapegoat for other would be intolerant officers.
It would be recalled that on Friday 6th November 2019, a journalist with The Xpress Newspaper, Mr. Godwin Udoh, was assaulted by police officers attached to the governor at the premises of the Delta State House of Assembly shortly after the governor presented the 2020 budget while briefing journalists on the content of the budget.
Also, another journalist with the Champion Newspapers, Elder Barry Agbanigbi, was tortured by yet unidentified police officers around the FMC roundabout.
