The Police Service Commission (PSC) has warned that it would no longer tolerate the prevailing notoriety of officers and men of the Zone 13 Police Headquarters in Ukpo, Anambra State.
The commission said it is disturbed that the Zone has continued to engage in misconduct even in the face of several warnings that police officers should stay away from civil matters such as land, marital and rent disputes.
The PSC said it is in receipt of a petition addressed to its Chairman, Depury Inspector General Hashimu Argungu (rtd.) captioned “Complaints of Disregard to Judicial Process: Abuse of Power; Intimidation and Harrasment” against one Inspector James of Ukpo Command, Zone13, by the Umu Ukwueze family of Umudikwu, Ihe Nsukka. The petition was filed by Agbo & Agbo & Associates.
According to the petitioners, one Mr. Jude Onah allegedly broke into a part of their family land and started erecting a perimeter fence, using brick layers and other labourers. The petitioners said that all efforts to get the said intruder to hands off the land proved abortive. But surprisingly, the owners of the property were whisked away to Zone 13 Ukpo without the knowledge of othe family members.
The law firm wrote: ‘When our clients saw the handwriting on the wall, they instructed us to challenge their arrest in the first place as it became clear to them that the whole game is meant to persecute them.
‘We then filed motion for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of our clients. The said motion was promptly served on the respondents. The lawyer in the petition said, despite the service of the motion for fundamental rights on Inspector James and subsequent arrest of Mr. Amaechi Ezeugwu, the said Inspector continued with threats on our clients for more arrests.
‘We filed a motion for injunction to restrain the Police for further harassing our clients pending the hearing and determination of the main motion’.
The complainants said that the most worrisome aspect is that, ‘about three days ago, the same Inspector James started calling the lawyer we sent to secure our clients bail asking him to ensure that our clients come to his office, threatening to come down to Nsukka and carryout massive arrest’.
The lawyers complained that, during this period, his clients had been extorted to the tune of N200,000 and N150,000 respectively’.
Aa confirmed by PSC spokesperson, Mt. Ikechukwu Ani, the commission found the development shameful and noted that all the officers involved in the misconduct would face its disciplinary action.
Argungu said that he would not rest until he purged the Southeast zone of human rights abuses in the illegal handling of civil matters, especially land disputes.
He warned that the Police should stay away from such matters and allow the courts to do their job.
