Policeman assaults 77-year-old monarch in Orlu, Imo State

Eze Boniface Okereke, the traditional ruler of Uzoubi Umuna community in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State has petitioned the Imo State Police Command of the Nigerian Police over assault he received by a policeman attached to the Orlu Area Command.

The monarch told the Commissioner of Police that was tortured and treated like a miscreant before his subjects at the peak of the crisis that rocked some communities in Orlu.

The 77-year-old monarch said the incident happened at the Carrot Junction roundabout on January 27 while returning from a security meeting.

He said that despite his age and the inscription of his title clearly written on his vehicle, the policemen were ready to flog him for coming out, not minding that curfew was only imposed between 6 pm and 6 am.

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According to him: “About 2 pm on January 27, I was returning from a meeting of the Orlu Council of Traditional Rulers which held at the palace of the monarch of Umudioka, Thomas Obiefula.

“At Carrot junction, I met some mobile policemen who, in spite of the inscription on my car number plate which identified me as the traditional ruler of Uzoubi autonomous community, ordered me to come out of my car or they would shoot me.

“Despite explanations to that effect and my appearance as an elderly man, they ordered me to get down from the car and lie on the ground for more than eight minutes before one of them intervened and told me to get up.

“This is the height of disrespect to me, my community and the traditional institution.”

He said he had been restraining the youths from taking any action pending when the commissioner of police acts to identify the officers who ridiculed him.