Posted by The Port Harcourt Telegraph on
Parents of a student of the University of Port Harcourt are gearing up for a court battle with the police, following the brutal assault he suffered in the hands of some policemen at the Amadi Ama area of Port Harcourt.
Parents of a student of the University of Port Harcourt are gearing up for a court battle with the police, following the brutal assault he suffered in the hands of some policemen at the Amadi Ama area of Port Harcourt.
The student, Neeka Nwinee had left the university on or about the 22nd of June for his sister's residence in that part of town.
It was the birthday of his niece and Nwinee, an Ogoni by birth wanted very much to be part of the celebration.
Besides, his parents live in that neighbourhood and so it was an opportunity to see them, to reunite with them after so many days in school.
Fate however played a cruel game.
Nwinee, according to family sources, left his sister's residence in a car to buy something at a nearby grocery store.
In the car was the little niece for whom he had left school.
Somewhere around the Amadi Ama Roundabout, police flagged him down at about 10.15a.m.
Nwinee, from what we heard, parked and was asked to produce the documents of the car.
Nwinee recalls that the policeman who walked up to him had a name tag.
On it, was allegedly written the name Egejure Felix.
Nwinee says his police number was 326579.
After producing the vehicle particulars, Felix, Nwinee explained sought to have his driver's licence.
It was in the process of reaching out to bring out the licence that he heard Felix yell, "thief"
Perplexed, Nwinee said he looked up to the policeman only to find that he had reached out through the car window to snatch the key which was in the ignition.
At this stage, Nwinee who held the key demanded to know the reason for which the car key was being seized and why he should suddenly wear the toga of a thief.
That, apparently was his mistake.
Felix beckoned to his colleagues and they descended on him like angry soldier ants.
By the time they were through, Nwinee had his leg torn apart.
He told a correspondent of this publication that one Emem Akah with police number 327165 hit him repeatedly with a 2x2 plank.
In the process, he said he felt a sharp pain and continued to cry out his assailants had broken his left leg.
On realizing the matter was getting out of control, the policemen who attacked him discharged from the scene.
Nwinee called his sister and his parents who came to the scene and went to the police post in the area to lay a complaint.
Doctors who have conducted an x-ray say his bone had a crack, forcing them to encase it.
Among his school mates, there has been so much anguish.
Among the Ogoni who have heard about the assault on Nwinee, it is like the process of the gradual annihilation of Ogoni people has restarted.
Nwinee's parents aren't taking the matter lying low.