A media executive, Mr. Erasmus Ikhide has petitioned the Edo State Commissioner of Police over an alleged assault by an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Eruere, Owan West Local Government area.
In the petition, the incident occurred on April 11 as the victim was on a queue to vote in the last State House of Assembly election.
According to his lawyer, O. A Iguodala, Ikhide was without provocation severely beaten up and threatened with a gun by an officer of the NSCDC identified as Omueti Iregbeyen Chickson. He also alleged that Ikhide was beaten up on the instructions of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) agent identified as Wilson Ilevbaogun.
Iguodala said: “Our client with other voters were at Unit 2, Eruere between the hours of 3:30 and 5:pm, the above named civil defence officer came in company of four other officers. He started asking the polling station officer and the agents if there was any problem. They answered in the negative.”
Iguodala continued: “That as our client turned his back to look, without any provocation whatsoever, the said Mr. Omueti Iregbeyen Chickson descended on him. He started flogging him with the horsewhip in his hand, and he fell on the ground. He again followed this up with gun butt beating until one of the senior officers came to his rescue,” he said.
The petitioner said the incident caused panic at the polling station with voters running for their lives, he however prayed the police to begin investigation into the matter.