As part of efforts to minimized police brutalization of citizens and as well redeemed the image of the force, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and Area Commander in Ughelli, ACP, Ademola Adebayo, has issued query to an Assistant Superintendent of Police, only identify as ASP Jeremiah and default other officers in his team for allegedly assaulting a commercial driver Mr Malcom Esumei, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The query came following an alleged physical attack on a truck driver, Mr Malcom Esumei, by a team of police officers led by ASP Jeremiah. The driver whose right eye was badly injured is currently battling to save his right eye filled with blood clot.
Mr Malcolm, 41, a truck driver was returning from a business trip at Evwreni community when the unfortunate incident occurred.
Narrating his ordeal to newsmen after the incident, Mr Malcolm Esumei said, “On October 28, 2024, between the hours of 5-6:pm, I was returning from Evwreni where I went to supply tiles and on getting to Makolomi roundabout in Ughelli, I met some police officers on the road.
“He said getting to the roundabout, the police stopped a vehicle and where discussing, and another vehicle, a red GLK was in front of my truck and after waiting for about four minutes without getting to me, and noticing the officer and the driver of the GLK were spending much time and I was not stopped, I decided to meandered through the right hand side of the road and leave, as I was about driving from the scene, he flagged me down and I stopped.
“After he finished his discussion with the other vehicle, he came to me and ask where I was going, I told him that I was going back to the office and he quickly requested for my driver license which I gave to him at the center of the road.
“He then requested for my vehicle particulars and I asked him to allow me to park well as there was a mini grid lock but before I could finish my speech, it was a hot slap on my cheek and another hot blow on my eye while i was on the steering.
“He ordered me to come down from the vehicle and as a alighted from the vehicle, other officers joined him in beating me and the loader that was with me was joined in the beating.
“After beating us, they asked us to leave, then I asked them why were they beating us so mercilessly without any offence, that angered them and started to beat us again after which, they bundled us to the station precisely ACB 1, behind the Area Commander ‘s office with my vehicle and they took my phone from me.
“At the station, one of the officers who introduced his rank as ASP told me that he can kill me and nobody will ask him anything and that my family cannot do anything because my corpse will be seized by the government.
“When my boss came, he took me to DPO and he immediately summoned the officers and they denied beating me despite the blood clot in my right eye.”
When contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer SP Edafe Bright directed the matter to the Ughelli Area Commander.
The Ughelli Area Commander, ACP Ademola Adebayo immediately summoned the officers led by ASP Jeremiah and ordered he should be queried and the others be defaulted with immediate effect.
He said, “As a police officer, you must conduct yourself in a manner that command respect and honor and you cannot deny it that the driver was not beaten with the evidence at hand.
“I have always made an ASP the head of any of the team that goes out, and if any incident of this nature should occur, such an experienced officer should be able to handled it, but in this case, the ASP could not handle the situation.
ACP Adebayo while cautioning the officers in anger, told them that as an experience officer, you have to pacify the suspect to the station to face the law, not you taking laws into your hands and beating up people on the road.
” I headed SARS for over six years in Delta, over a year in the North and headed Crack Team head for over 17 months in Rivers State without any complaint and I expected you to do same as I have always lectured you before going out.”