It was reported in the media that the alleged victim accused the
police of hitting her with the rifle.
Anambra State Police Command says its cops did not attack a
98-year-old woman with an AK-47 rifle in the course of trying to
arrest a suspect in the state.
It was reported in the media that the alleged victim accused the
police of hitting her with the rifle.
But in a statement by SP Haruna Mohammed, spokesman for the command,
the police said, "The attention of the Anambra State Police Command
has been drawn to online media reports that 'Policemen attached to the
Command Special Anti-robbery Squad have allegedly beaten up a 98-years
old Woman Cecilia Okpalaku of Achina in Aguata LGA of Anambra State,
and assaulted her with Ak-47 rifle over a family dispute'. The
publication is not only false but totally misleading.
"The real fact in issue was that on the 19/8/2019 the Commissioner of
Police received a formal complaint from a legal practitioner that his
client one Esther Nzekwe was assaulted by her fiancee one Emeka
Okpalaku and that the man also confiscated her credentials including
her NYSC call up letter in order to prevent her from reporting to NYSC
camp which dateline closes on the 20/8/2019."
The police further claimed, "The complainant further alleged that the
suspect was planning to travel back to Japan where he based. Following
the petition, the Commissioner of Police CP John B.Abang ordered for a
full-scale investigation into the matter. Police detectives visited
the house to invite the suspect but as soon as he sighted the Police,
he quickly ran inside the house and locked all the entrances.
"All efforts by the police to prevail on the suspect to open the doors
proved abortive until the police used the power of ingress in
accordance with section 7(1&2) CPA laws of the Federation to gain
access into the house but the suspect eventually escaped.
Consequently, the police equally rescued a one-year-old daughter of
the complainant who was equally locked inside the house and left
crying without care.
"To date, the suspect is still on the run and has not returned the
credentials he forcefully collected from the lady while an
investigation is still ongoing.
"The command is wondering why the very person who allegedly assaulted
a woman and deprived her of participating in the national youth
service will be the very person spreading the falsehood that police
assaulted a 98-year-old woman using AK-47 rifle which was totally
false and unfounded."