Suspects die daily at Awkuzu Police cells, no food - victims

The released victims (Moses middle).

Suspects die daily at Awkuzu Police cells, no food - victims

By Chinwe Nwacha, Onitsha 

It was a chilling revelation when three victims detained at Rapid Response Squad, RRS, police cell, Awkuzu, former Awkuzu  Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS office, Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, for about a month and five days over alleged land tussle despite court order to release them, narrated their ordeal while in cell,  alleging that suspects are deliberately detained to die in favour of complainants.

Praising God for his eventual release three weeks after police turned down an order from an Onitsha High court Presided over by Hon.Justice Theophine Oguji, directed the police to release him, a security guard, Anthony Moses, an Indigene of Plateau. State, told newsmen that his release was by grace of God disclosing that suspects die on daily basis in the cell mostly due to deliberate lack of food to favour complainants.

Hear him, " I am a security man at  Plot IN/65 Harbour Industrial Layout, Onitsha, on September 24, police stormed my duty post and arrested me and took me to Awkuzu SARS and after making statement I was detained for about one month and five days despite court order to release me two weeks after I was arrested in a case of land issue, I later learnt.

"It was by special grace of God that I was released because people kept there are meant to die in favour of the complainants. We only eat once in a week and it has to be so little so that you die of hunger, suffocation, malnutrition, or physical torture by stronger inmates inside the cell as the cell is over crowded.

"In my cell which is cell two, we are about 200 inmates in the cell that is meant for maybe 20 people and everyone contacted one epidemic disease or the other,. Out of three of us released that were arrested at Harbour layout, contacted disease and one has swollen leg with boils all over his body. 

"Inside the cells inmates look like chimpanzee, ghosts, so thin and tiny as a result of man's inhumanity to fellow being, God's will definitely will happen to all those involved in the torture of fellow human beings there and I call on the police authority to visit the Awkuzu cells and see people dying like fowls.  

"I see like 20 people that died and police there always tell us that if we are not released and we die they will throw our corpses away. Once in a week they give us little food not enough for a month old baby, no medication, no visitation by your people and no access to your phone. 

"Every night more suspects, like 10,  will be brought to our cell which is the largest and added to the over crowded cell causing suffocation and subsequent untimely death. I doubt if the police Commissioner and Governor Chukwuma Soludo have idea of what happens in Awkuzu cells,"he lamented.

Also two victims who were arrested in the same place with Moses and released alongside him, Uwem Sunday, a security Man from Akwa Ibom state, and Ita Tahide, from Benue State, a sand loader, narrated their ordeal to newsmen saying that it is a hell being detained at Awkuzu cells.

The duo lamented that nobody cared that they are human beings adding that the police there will only come and examine if there are deaths adding that suspects die daily.

According to Uwem, "Thank God that I came out alive even if I am sick as a result of the disease that affected me while in detention. Water is our food there as they provide little thing they call food to us once in a week and that is the major cause of death there, then suffocation because of too much people. 

"Three people died today in my cell as we were being released and police normally tell us that they are waiting for our death. They want us to die to satisfy the complainants who they favour not minding the type of case you have, whether civil or criminal," he stated.

In his own contribution, Ita Tahide, from Benue State, sand loader, said that, "It is God that saved us from this civil matter, land tussle, the complainants want us dead because we were not caught with any incriminating objects. We were treated like common criminals and abandoned to die to favour some elements, God will take revenge.

"No food, no medication, no communication, if you mistakenly slept as you are standing because no chance to sleep and you fall as you are standing, it is death because others will march on you and you can't stand up again, horrible situation.

"Death is nothing to the police there and they contribute 80 per cent of deaths there. Nobody is innocent in Awkuzu RRS once you are a suspect, it is intimidation all the way, it is SARS in disguise and should be investigated. We are all suffering from one disease to another now, caused by epidemic that affected us while in cell," he cried.

Reacting, Chief Walter O. Chukwuka, site  Manager, Bravo Group of Companies, lamented that suspects in a civil matter like land issue  should be treated like common criminals when Police are ordered not to by involve in land issues by the Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun.

"NIWA sold Bravo land to another person and that is the bone of contention. When did police start to intervene in land matter like this that resulted in these three innocent people being incarcerated in police cell," he queried.

Recall that the court order was sequel to a motion ex-parte brought by Moses, the applicant against the respondents that included, Sir Emeka Offor, Mr. Suleiman, Onitsha Area Manager, National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA; Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CSP Ifeanyi Iburu, RRS Commander, Awkuzu and the Inspector-General of Police, IGP as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants respectively.

In the motion filed on his behalf by his legal counsel, F. A. Ogbuli, Moses had specifically prayed the court to order his release from the custody of the 4th respondent (CSP Ifeanyi Iburu, Commander of the RRS, Awkuzu), pending the determination of the substantive suit.

He also prayed the court to grant an injunction restraining the respondents, their servants, agents and privies from further arresting, detaining, harassing or molesting him or taking any further step in connection with the subject matter, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

An order for service of the processes in the suit on the 4th and 5th respondents, CSP Iburu and the IGP by delivering same to the Legal Department of the RRS, Awkuzu and an order that the processes so delivered and served as ordered by the court be deemed proper and appropriate and for such or other orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstance of the case.

In his ruling, Justice Oguji ordered that the applicant be released from detention forthwith, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Adjourning the substantive suit to December 3, this year, for further proceedings, Justice Oguji also ordered that the respondentts, their servants, agents and privies be restrained from further arresting, detaining harassing or molesting the applicant, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Moses' lawyer, Ben Ikeagwu Esq It will  be recalled, petitioned Anambra State Commissioner of Police, requesting him to use his good offices to direct the RRS commander to release the accused.

Contacted, earlier based on the petition, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, told newsmen that he would take up the matter and verify the extent CP has handled it as one who believes in law and order.