Lucky Joseph, a 38-year-old artisan who was
allegedly tortured by some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Rivers
State Police Command, has lodged a complaint on the attack.
This followed advice from the Officer-in-Charge
of the Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit (PCRRU), Yomi Shogunle, who said
that the allegations would be investigated.
The victim, however, told our correspondent that
when he sent the message, he did not get any feedback from the police team.
When our correspondent contacted Shogunle to know
why Joseph did not get any response, he said he had closed for the day.
Latest Reality Metro had reported that Joseph
was allegedly tortured close to his residence in the Choba Extension, Obio
Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.
A video showing three SARS operatives beating up
the mechanic had gone viral on the Internet last Thursday.
While one slammed him repeatedly with a cutlass,
another was seen opening a tear gas canister in his face; the third official
held him.
The victim’s trousers were pulled down, exposing
his private parts.
The assault went on until two men intervened
towards the end of the one minute video.
Joseph told our correspondent that some residents
contributed N30,000 which they paid the operatives before he was released.
In response to a poll on some social media
platforms, Nigerians had demanded that the state CP, Zaki Ahmed, resign if he
could not bring the erring policemen to book.
After the Rivers State police spokesperson
exonerated the operatives on the allegation of possession of hemp without
addressing the torture, and the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood,
did not respond to enquiries on the incident, the PCRRU OC asked the victim to
forward his complaint to the unit.
Joseph said he sent a text message to
08057000003, the telephone number assigned by the PCRRU for such complaints.
His text, obtained by our correspondent, said,
“My name is Lucky Joseph, a resident of Odums Street, Choba, Port Harcourt,
Rivers State. I was stopped by SARS officers on the street where I reside and
they searched my pocket. They did not find anything except my handkerchief.
“A SARS officer wanted to return the handkerchief
into my pocket, but I refused and requested that he should give it to me. A
SARS officer brought India hemp from his pocket and tried to force it inside my
pocket, but I resisted him. Before I could know what was going on, his
colleagues had joined him and asked me to enter their vehicle, but I refused.
“I asked them what my offence was, but they
insisted (that I enter the vehicle). One of them, known as ThankGod, brought
out a machete and they began to torture me and drag me with my manhood. They
made me naked. It took the intervention of people and my boss, whom I work with
as a mechanic, before they released me (after taking) N30,000 and left me
naked.”
The victim said he had yet to get any response
since sending the message.
The PCRRU OC, Shogunle, said he could not comment
around 8pm because it was out of office hours.
As of Thursday, the Rivers State Police Command
and the Force headquarters had yet to respond to the alleged torture.
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