A 33-year old Corporal, Godwin Otu, dismissed in the line of duty has called on Federal Government and civil society organisations to urgently intervene on his matter.
The officer accused the Nigerian Police Force of injustice despite being sent on an official assignment over a case of kidnapping.
Otu, who had spent about nine years in the force, is currently detained in the facility of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Abuja.
The dismissed officer during an interaction with The Nation in Abuja, said he was asked to lead three men team on an official duty following a reported case of kidnapping on 24th November, 2014.
He explained that two ladies, Nwanfo Okechukwu and one other were kidnapped by an unknown group, allegedly led by late Police Corporal, Manasa Akenye but one of the ladies was released to pay a N150, 000 ransom.
Otu noted that getting to scene of the incident, the kidnappers opened fire at their patrol team dispatched by the Divisional Police Officer, (DPO), Enugu Central Police station, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Ike Mba, which led to exchange of fire.
According to him, one of the masterminds of the kidnap, who was shot, incidentally happened to be a policeman, having confessed upon his arrest.
His words: “On the 24th November, 2014, I was at the station when two ladies came to the office and complain that they kidnapped two of them but one of them was released and one was still being held hostage, they demanded money, they paid N150, 000. They freed one of them remaining one
“After making the complaint at the counter, the DPO CSP Ike Mba ordered me and two other police officers to follow me to the scene. He gave me a vehicle and a rifle. On getting to that scene, the kidnappers sighted us and opened fire and I responded. Unfortunately, one of them was shot, so the gang were tried to pick him but the man was restless. They only picked the victim’s rifle and left, they were like four with the driver making five.
“So, my colleagues and I picked the kidnapper to the station where we met our DPO at Central Police Station in Enugu State, but he is retired now. He interrogated the victim. That was when the victim said he is a policeman serving in State Provost, Enugu state Command, his name is Manasa Akenye, he was a PC then. He asked us to search him, we searched him.
“We recovered the kidnapped girl’s phone from him and his personal phone that he was using to communicate with family of the girl, who was asked to bring the ransom. The DPO now asked the IPO to take Akenye to the Sparkling Hospital Enugu. They took him there, on getting to the hospital, they met the doctor who started the treatment and the man’s statement was recorded. He later died.”
He said upon investigations, superior officers in the force concluded there was no case as the accused officers have performed their duty effectively.
Yet, the case was later revisited upon continuous pressure from family of the deceased officer.
He revealed that on July, 2015, next of kin to the late police officer claimed that an officer, PC Ada Ochechi, who was part of the team called to accuse him of murder.
Narrating his ordeal further, he explained that they were put on trial at the Force Headquarters, Abuja under the supervision of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Monitoring Unit, adding that the two kidnapped ladies were invited by his family to testify, but denied the access to testify at the police hearing by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO) ASP Sunday Idowu.
“When they brought us here (Force Headquarter), they said they should try us at the HQ. The IPO said he would tell the trial police officer on what to do. After, they tried us and they recommended me for dismissal, the two other officers were released because they were constable and they did not carry any rifle.
“The people that we rescued and the girl that came to the station to complain came here but the ASP Idowu asked them to go back that when they are needed, they will be called. When we went for the trial again the next day, they asked for the testifiers, we said we brought them but they were asked to go back.
“So the officer in charge of the trial said he did not have anything to say again since we could not provide the ladies. We pleaded with him; we only succeeded by calling the girl that came to the station to complain about the case. She narrated everything that happened, after all those things, the man that read the judgment said the way they kidnapped the girl was so mild,” adding that “how can they kidnapped the girl in a broad-day light? How can they open fire without any bullet shot on the vehicle? On his final judgment, he recommended me for dismissal.”
“They detained three of us but they later released, PC Ada Ochechi and PC Joshua Omeje while I’m still here in detention.”
Otu wondered why he should still remain in detention, even after the trial. He alleged it is on record at the Enugu station several criminal offences the deceased officer, whose father happened to be a police officer committed.
“The kidnapper that was killed even has criminal record in the command, he has pending trial. On the 23rd June, they said they had send my dismissal signal to my command, now they have directed them to take me back to my command so that they can charge me to court, since then getting to a month now, they have been keeping me here getting to three months now”
During the investigation, The Nation met with the IPO, Idowu Sunday but directed this correspondent to the Force spokesperson. He refused to make comment.
After 48 hours of consistent effort to meet the Force spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Don Awunah, explained the accused might have presented a one sided story.
He said the Police have a special process when an issue of such occurs.
“The police have three different set of trials depending on the offence committed just like court martial. Since he has been dismissed, the case will be with the ministry of justice. They will look into it and further present to the attorney general of the federation who will then make final recommendation. So, that is how it works. There is nothing we can do here. It pains us more when one of us faces this kind of situation,” he added.
