Operatives of the Nigerian police in Imo have allegedly detained one Mr Paul and Mrs Nnenna Osuji (couple) over land issue.
Crimefacts.News gathered that the incident happened at Ehime Mbano LGA in Imo state.
According a family source who spoke to Crimefacts.News on the condition of anonymity said ,” According to my information, the victims Mr Paul and Mrs Nnenna Osuji are poor. They have no male children. Mr Osuji inherited lands in his family. His cousins, nephews and other relatives take the view that since he has no male children, he must relinquish the lands he has to them, desist from selling any of them and handing over, even the portions they currently farm for subsistence to other family members who have male children.”
According to the source,”
I forwarded the information to the Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command and the Police Public Relations Officer, Imo State Police Command ones Saturday bringing this case to their attention but received no reply till now.”
“On Friday, September 18 Mr Osuji received a message from the police inviting him to the Ehime Mbano Police Station. He got there on Saturday and they told him that he is being accused of forceable entry into one of the lands he has been in possession of for God knows how long and which they have asked him to relinquish because he has no male children.”
“They detained him. Mind you, this is not a criminal offence,” the source lamented.
Speaking further, the source said that His wife who came with him was also detained..”
“Their children who also came to ask for their release were asked to go and get a male resident in Ehime Mbano as surety before they can be released. The police said they should also deposit the sum of N30,000.00 for bail. All the children are female and so ‘do not qualify as sureties’.
“Meanwhile, I tried to speak with the IPO but she refused to give out her phone number. Then I tried speaking to her through the phone of one of the daughters (Oluchi) still at the police station as at that evening. The IPO Precious Ukwu took the phone but pretended that the network was poor. She told Oluchi to go to the DPO whom she said was the one who should take decision on the matter.”
“Later, they informed me that they had found a male who can stand surety for them.
Upon my further effort to speak to the IPO or any other officer at the station, the IPO insisted that anyone with an issue on this case should talk to the DPO and that the instruction to collect the money came from the DPO. I didn’t have the DPO’s number and the IPO refused to give it out.”
“Up to this moment, there has been no response from the CP and PRO in response to the information I forwarded to them on WhatsApp since Saturday.”
“I have just been informed that ‘they collected the total sum of N19 000 naria and warn me not to tell anybody but i told barrister johnson that very day as i coundn’t reach again due to bad network”.
” I expect that the CP Imo will address this abuse and corruption which I’m told is prevalent at Ehime Mbano Division.
And I know that this is the case in many police stations in rural communities,”the source concluded .
Reacting to the allegations,Imo state Police public relations officer ,Orlando Ikeokwu said that he will find out and get back to our reporter.
