Police Beats Female Lawyer To A Pulp

There is disquiet in Enugu and beyond over the alleged attack on the office of Women Aid Collective, (WACOL) by men of the Nigeria Police, Enugu Command.

DAILY POST gathered that the incident, linked to an investigation of a rape incident, left a female lawyer in coma.

She was said to have been rushed to the intensive care unit of the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu, where she is currently recuperating.

WACOL is a rights organization renowned for championing the rights of the vulnerable, especially the women.

Confirming the attack in a statement mailed to DAILY POST by the Head of Communication, WACOL, Mrs. Egodi Igwe, the rights group described the brutal attack as unacceptable.

The statement was signed by WACOL founder and director, Prof. Mrs. Joy Ezeilo.

The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has also not been left behind in condemning the incident.

While giving details on the said attack, Ezilo said trouble had started when the policemen from the Abakpa Area Command invaded the WACOL office following a report from one Miss (Name withheld) a 21 year old lady, who alleged that she was raped by one Uchenna.”

She said following the report, “Our legal team considered her report and thought it wise that rape was such a serious criminal matter that should require Police intervention and investigation. To that effect, one of the lawyers in our office, Ibangah Goodness Esq. took the victim to Area Command Enugu, Enugu State with a petition informing the Police of the development and requested that the matter be investigated. She handed the victim over to them and was also present when they obtained a statement from her. At that point, it was reasonably expected that the Police had formally taken over investigation of this matter from us.

“The Police later called Ibangah Goodness Esq. requesting that she provides the victim to them as the parents of the suspect had plans of settling the issue with the victim and her family. She told them that she had handed over the matter to them and therefore they should source the victim by themselves with the contact details she provided in her statement with them. Rather, the Area commander and some other officers at the station kept calling Ibangah Goodness Esq and trying to intimidate her and coerce her to provide the victim for settlement with the boys parent.

“To our utmost dismay, on 30th January, 2020 four Police officers from Area Command Enugu, Enugu stormed our office and still requested that our office should provide the victim for them. The legal unit repeated to them that they had already handed over the matter to them and that they should look for the victim themselves using the contact details she provided in her statement at their office and still in their presence tried to contact the victim who said that she was on her way to the station. These officers failed to listen but instead began entering all the rooms in the office building and when they saw Ibangah Goodness Esq. who happened to be in a meeting. They mercilessly beat up Ibangah Goodness Esq. to a state of near unconsciousness.

“They extended the beating to Miss Nneka Okwor, another member of our staff when she made to plead with them to stop beating Goodness. These police Officers took the phone of Ibangah Goodness Esq. and confiscated the phone of anyone who dared to take pictures, record or video their hideous acts. They also destroyed some WACOL’s office doors in the process. It was such a dastardly beating that at a point Goodness ran into the office toilet to save her dear life, yet the four of them chased her like a hardened criminal into the toilet, dragged her out and continued beating this helpless and unarmed lady who was assisting the Police to curb crimes in the state. And what was her offence?”