The Delta State Coalition of Civil Societies have petitioned the Commissioner of Police Delta State command, Muhammad Ali, over increase in police brutality in the state.
The Public Relations Officer of the Civil Societies, Comrade Victor Ojei, disclosed this on Sunday while speaking to our correspondent in Asaba after a 35 year-old auto mechanic was allegedly stabbed by an alcoholic-seeking policeman in the state.
He said, “The rate of police brutality is increasing now. It was this brutality that led to the EndSARS protest in which billions of Naira was lost. Many lives were lost in the process yet the police don’t want to learn the lesson of EndSARs.
“Recently, a young man was stabbed by a police officer and the victim is currently battling with his life at the Federal Medical Centre, Asaba.
“We have petitioned the Police Command, and made it clear that what we need is justice for the poor man.
“The most annoying part of it is that the police abandoned the poor man at the hospital without supporting the victim medically.
“As I speak to you now, the victim is urinating blood after surgery and the family is the poorest of the poorest. They could not afford the treatment.
“We approached the command that the victim needs medical attention but the command started acting as if they were helpless, exempting themselves and said that they had done the right thing by arresting the police officer.”
Ojei called on the Inspector General of Police as a matter of urgency to address the issue of police brutality, especially in Delta State before another EndSAR will break out, adding that the previous EndSAR started from Delta.
He frowned on recent compensation done by state government to the victims of police brutality that led to EndSARS protest, alleging fraud in the compensation even as he challenged Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to make public the names of the beneficiaries and amount paid to them.
Responding the allegation, the police public relations officer in the state, ESP Bright Edafe stated that the policeman who stabbed the young man was already in detention and would be dragged to court soon.
On the increase of police brutality, PPRO said “The people lamenting police brutality should report to the command through our complained line.
“They don’t call to report police brutality and so, how we can we be aware of brutality. Most of them who have issue, go to the social media without complaining to us. Let them come and give evidence, to punish these policemen, they will not come rather they said they don’t want anybody to be dismissed on their account”
PPRO called on the general public to report any case of brutality and be willing to come out and give evidence when punishment will be metered on erring officer because “you cannot dismissed any officer when nobody is coming out to say this is what he did to me”.
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