An assistant commissioner of police and area commander in-charge of Enugu Metro Area Command, ACP Oluseyi Okenla has physically assaulted a female police officer, identified as Sergeant Helen Onoja in public
The commissioner of police, Enugu State, CP Abubakar Lawal ordered the deputy commissioner of police in-charge of the state CID to conduct investigations into the alleged act.
The state police public relations officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe made this known in a statement obtained by DAILY GIST.
He said, “The investigation is in view of establishing the facts surrounding the allegations and apportioning appropriate disciplinary sanctions on whoever is found culpable.”
CP Lawal assured the general public that no stone would be left unturned in getting to the root of the matter and meting out appropriate sanctions.
He said the Nigeria Police Force remained a regimented and disciplined agency of government and would stop at nothing to subject its personnel to extant disciplinary codes, processes and punishments whenever they erred.
The CP enjoined the general public to avoid ‘creating and/or peddling skewed narratives over the incident as alleged’.
He urged all to allow the command to activate the investigative and internal disciplinary mechanisms to ensure that justice prevails.
It was gathered that Helen was reportedly beaten publicly by Okenla and his orderly, identified as Emma Oji, in front of the area command office.
A worker in the command said, “Helen is not working with us here, but I heard she was posted from her division to Orthopedic junction as a traffic controller.
“After some hours on duty, she felt she needed to use the ladies. As she was going, ACP Okenla saw her and ordered her to go back to her traffic point.
“She obeyed him and returned to the junction without using the toilet. While back on her duty post, ACP Okenla sent Cpl Daniel Onyia to call her for him.
“On her way back to our office, ACP Okenla blocked her with his orderly at the gate and started brutalising her. We were shocked. They started kicking this woman I learnt is a nursing mother with shoes.
“She was really beaten and dragged on the dusty side of the road like a common criminal in a police uniform in public for no justifiable reason.
“She was subsequently bundled inside a police cell with injuries. The area commander threatened that he would treat her like a common criminal and nothing would happen. I’m not surprised by his statement though because he is known for assaulting those of us working directly under him.
“The woman was detained overnight and released around 10am the following day.
“And as if that was not enough for a nursing mother, this man who doesn’t have the fear of God at all followed the lady up with disciplinary action. I heard him vowing to ruin her career.”
