Police Misconduct: PSC Threatens to Sanction Personnel of Zone 13, Anambra
Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Police Service Commission (PSC) yesterday warned that it will no longer tolerate the prevailing notoriety in the conduct of police personnel attached to Zone 13 Police Headquarters in Ukpo, Anambra State.
A statement by the Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, said the Commission is disturbed that the Zone has continued to engage in police misconduct, despite several warnings that officers should stay away from civil matters such as land, marital, and rent disputes.
“The Commission is in receipt of a petition addressed to its Chairman, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), captioned ‘Complaints of Disregard to Judicial Process: Abuse of Power; Intimidation and Harassment against Inspector James of Zone 13, Nigeria Police Force, Ukpo Command’ by the members of Umu Ukwueze Family, Umudikwu, Ihe Nsukka from Agbo & Agbo & Associates, and signed by C.S. Agbo Esq. of Divine Chambers,” he said.
The petitioner alleged that one Mr. Jude Onah broke into a part of their family land and started erecting a perimeter fence using bricklayers and other labourers.
He noted that all efforts to get the said intruder to vacate the land proved abortive, but surprisingly, his clients and the property owners were whisked away to Zone 13, Ukpo, without the family members’ knowledge.
“When our clients saw the handwriting on the wall, they instructed us to challenge their arrest, as it became clear to them that the whole situation was meant to persecute them. We then filed a motion for the enforcement of our clients’ fundamental rights… the said motion was promptly served on the respondents,” Ani said.
The lawyer in the petition stated that despite serving Inspector James with a motion for fundamental rights and the subsequent arrest of Mr. Amaechi Ezeugwu, the inspector continued to threaten their clients with more arrests.
“We filed a motion for an injunction to restrain the police from further harassing our clients, pending the hearing and determination of the main motion,” the statement added.
Ani said the Commission finds this development shameful and notes that all officers involved in this serious act of misconduct will face disciplinary action.
The Commission’s Chairman, DIG Hashimu Argungu (rtd), said he would not rest until he eradicates human rights abuses in the South-east, particularly in the illegal handling of civil matters such as land disputes. He warned the police to stay away from such matters and allow the courts to do their job.
