A medical report from a specialist hospital presented in the video by Amarachi’s mother stated that she was seriously injured.
The Imo State Police Command has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the case of a 14-year-old girl identified as Dominic Amarachi, who was assaulted, brutalised and injured by some lawless police officers.
In a video making the rounds on social media, Amarachi narrated how policemen invaded their house at around 5am on September 6 and unleashed terror on her, after which they dragged her to the Tiger Base police station where they locked her up in the cell without explaining to her what her offence was.
Narrating her ordeal in a video recorded by a human rights organisation, Protect the Weak International Foundation, Amarachi said, “On Friday, 6th of this month (September), I was sleeping and around 5am, I heard people knocking on the gate, and when I opened the protector (burglary proof) that leads to my room, they said ‘if you don’t open this gate I will kill you.
“Immediately I opened the gate, they landed a slap on me. With my sleepy eyes, I didn’t know who they were. I ran into the house and they followed me and took a mob stick and started beating me. As they were beating me with the mob stick, they were also slapping me. One of them was beating me with a mob stick and another one was slapping me.
“They were about seven policemen. After beating me, they took me and forcefully threw me inside their vehicle. As they threw me inside the vehicle, an iron rod in the vehicle hit my back. I started shouting my heart, my heart.
“Our village chairman came and asked them why they arrested me; that they should leave if they did not see my father and my mother. They refused and took me to Tiger Base. As we were there, they asked me to write a statement. As I was talking, I did not know what they were writing.
“At night, they put me into a cell and locked the door. Some people came to bail me but they refused and said I could not be bailed until they see my father or my mother.”
Amarachi said the policemen punched her in her right eye, and that when the police officers refused to release her, “My father sent someone who came and bailed me.”
Asked the names of the police officers who brutalised her, Amarachi mentioned one officer she identified as Old Soldier and another one she identified as Chukwuemeka from Tiger Base police station.
A medical report from a specialist hospital presented in the video by Amarachi’s mother stated that she was seriously injured.
The medical report was obtained from Imo State Specialist Hospital, Owerri, dated September 6, 2024, titled, ‘Medical Report of Assault: Re: Dominic Amarachi; 14 Years; Female; Hosp. No. -64211’ and signed by Dr. Okechukwu A. I.
The medical report read, “The above-named 14 years old girl was brought to our facility with a history of soft tissue injuries on the 6th of September 2024. She was said to have sustained the soft Tissue injuries while incarcerated in the custody of the Nigeria Police Force.
“On presentation, she was in painful distress with generalised haematoma and hyperaemia. She is placed on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID), anxiolytic and broad spectrum cephalosporins.”
Asked what she has done about the case, Amarachi’s mother said, “I have not done anything other than to treat her first. I am still treating her. After the treatment before I can see another thing I can do.”
Asked if the police dropped a notice inviting her husband to the police station, she said, “They did not drop any notice. They just invaded our house and beat her (Amarachi) UP.
“They came with one Daniel Onwuatu from Abia State. He is not a policeman. He is my brother-in-law. She (Amarachi) said he was the one who brought the policemen because she saw Daniel and he asked her where her father’s car keys and land documents were.”
She said they turned everything in the house upside down, adding that they did not show her daughter a search warrant or anything, and that her little child knelt down and pleaded with them but they also slapped the child, and threatened that if the child pleaded with them again, they would also take the child along to the station.
Amarachi complained in the video that her back and stomach have been hurting and aching her since the incident happened, while the mother said she has been the one carrying Amarachi on her back.
Reacting to the video which was posted by an X user, Somto Okonkwo, @General_Somto, the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Henry Okoye, said the Commissioner of Police in the state had assigned the officer in charge of the Command’s Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) to thoroughly investigate the matter.
The Police spokesperson said, “The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Command, CP Aboki Danjuma is deeply concerned about this case.
“He has assigned the officer in charge of the Command’s Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) to thoroughly investigate and ensure that the young lady receives the justice she deserves.
Okoye added, “Nne, please call 08148024755, we say no to highhandedness.”