Policemen Disarmed By Gunmen Decry Detention

Police officers who were attacked, wounded and disarmed by unknown gunmen have raised the alarm over their continued detention for about five months without trial.

The counsel to the detained officers, Barrister Godwin Onwusi , raised the alarm on behalf of the police officers in a  petition to  the Inspector General of Police, through the A.I.G, Force C.I.D Annex, Enugu.

In the petition titled: “Request/Petition For You To Cause An Investigation Into the Long Unexplained and Unconstitutional Detention of The Under listed Police Officers By The Abia State Police Command”, Onwusi said Inspector Ubakwem Udoka, Inspector Sunday Alhamadu and Sgt. Udeogu Chidi were sometime in September 2022 attacked from behind, wounded and disarmed by unknown gunmen while they were at their barricade duty post, opposite the state CID, Umuahia.

He said they sustained serious injuries during the attack while the attackers took away their arms, adding that since their detention, they have not been briefed on why they are being detained for that long, stating that the situation could discourage or demoralise other officers and men of Nigeria Police Force.

Onwusi pointed out that the officers have not also been charged to court, neither were they being paid salaries since then, noting that the development has brought untold hardship to the families of the officers who are dependent on the salaries of the officers.

He therefore called on the authorities of the police to use their good offices to look into the case of the officers with a view to either releasing them, having kept them in detention for so long.

Onwusi   in the petition, copied to the Police Service Commission, disclosed that they have instruction of their clients to proceed legally to enforce the fundamental rights of the officers.