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Civic Group Condemns Assault Of Three Journalists By Nigerian Policemen, Demands Sanctions For Erring Officers

Police
December 5, 2022

SaharaReporters had gathered that the attack and brutalisation of the three journalists who were controlling traffic in Ughelli were allegedly supervised by Asanaenyi Ibok, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ughelli 'A' division in the Ughelli North Local government Area of the state.

A human rights group, Concerned Nigerian Citizens for Equity, (CNCE), has condemned last week’s attack and brutalisation of three Delta State-based journalists by policemen attached to the Ughelli 'A' division while the pressmen were returning from official duties.

SaharaReporters had gathered that the attack and brutalisation of the three journalists who were controlling traffic in Ughelli were allegedly supervised by Asanaenyi Ibok, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ughelli 'A' division in the Ughelli North Local government Area of the state.

Condemning the police brutality and attack on the three Journalists, Andrew Unutame of Galaxy TV, Joel Grandball of Pointer Newspaper and Michael Veloh of an online news platform, the group in a statement signed by its national president, Igolo Okeh, and obtained by SaharaReporters, stated that "Asanaenyi Ibok, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ughelli 'A' division discharged his duties in a dictatorial manner owing to his allegiance to some top politicians in the state.

"The excesses of the DPO are fast becoming unbearable for a policeman. Three journalists, Andrew Unutame of Galaxy TV, Joel Grandball of Delta state owned Newspaper, The Pointer and Michael Veloh of an online news platform, were assaulted under the supervision of the DPO and all he could do was to ask the journalists to see him in his office.

“Having perused the activities of Mr. Ibok while serving as DPO in other divisions, we have been able to uncover a trail of human right abuses and if not curtailed, would amount to something bigger hence this call to the police hierarchy to wade into the matter.

"We believe the DPO has lost regard for professionalism and the ethics of his police job have eluded him. He has consistently bragged about his connection with high profile politicians and carried himself in a larger-than-life attitude in the discharge of his duties as a police officer.

“In January, 2020, this same DPO was accused of beating and stripping a woman, Mrs. Mercy Okoro naked in Warri when he was heading the Ekpan police station. As a a group, we are not surprised of the assault on the three journalists by a team of policemen led by ASP Edet Emmanuel, his kinsman, a cadet officer who recently passed out from police academy.”

The group however called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, and the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Ari Mohammed Ali to investigate what it termed, "the excesses of the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ughelli 'A' division, Mr. Asanaenyi Ibok to serve as deterrent to other overzealous officers of the command bringing bad image to the force.”