..Ikwerre LGA boss denies allegations

 “I was humiliated, embarrassed, tortured before I was handed over to Anti-kidnapping unit of the Rivers Police Operatives. Today, I can’t use my two hands”

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Mr. Azundah Prince Osorochi who hails from Elele in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers has narrated how he was allegedly tortured by OSPAC, a local vigilance outfit for several weeks he was in their detention over accusation of involvement in sundry crimes .

Osorochi whose arms have been rendered allegedly unusable from the brutalization he suffered in the hands of members of the vigilance group said, “OSPAC was created as a local vigilance body to assist the security agencies in different companies or the local government.

But today, it has become a political tool in Ikwerre local government mostly in Elele, where Mr Iheanyi Wosa (fukin naira) the OSPAC commander Elele changed it to an ‘eliminating group’ that can as well be used by the Ikwerre local government Chairman Samuel Nwanosike and his CSO Samuel Oboni, for politics.

“If not for God’s intervention, I would have died on 29th day of May 2020.

“I was humiliated, embarrassed, tortured before I was handed over to anti-kidnapping unit of the Rivers Police operatives and I was taken to court, but by the grace of God, the court vindicated me because I was innocent of all the allegations.

Mr. Azundah Prince Osorochi who hails from Elele in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers allegedly tortured OSPAC Vigilante

Osorochi whose two hands has been paralyzed due to torture depends on members of his family for feeding. He appealed to the Rivers State government, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police Rivers State, the Department  Security Service, DSS to come to his aid.

According to the Victim, “I am a welder by profession, the bread winner of the family, as a matter of fact; my mother is in the mortuary, my father suffering from stroke. What do I do? How do I overcome this situation with my two hands paralyzed”

At time of filing this report, the Ikwerre Local Government Council was yet to react to Osorochi,  the latest person to accuse OSPAC of  brutality and infringement on the fundamental human rights .

Recall that the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni had on 10 July  called on the Ikwerre local Government areas council boss to check the rising cases of human rights abuses arising from altercations between Ospac and members of his community.

He said the constant report of missing persons from the community as result of alleged arrests by OSPAC is becoming worrisome.

The latest of such complaints was by a 26 years old mother of five whose husband, an okada rider, was picked by OSPAC personnel on the 18th of April 2020 and have not been seen till date.

But in a press statement, signed on his behalf by his Media Aide, Chris Omodu,  Nwasinoke denied using the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Ikwerre LGA, Mr Samuel Oboni, to arrest and victimise his perceived opponents in the LGA via Community Vigilantes.

Nwanosike stated that he swore an oath as the Chairman of the LGA to protect the lives and properties of Ikwerre people and cannot renege on that oath by turning around to arrest or victimise them.

“The CSO of Ikwerre LGA Mr. Samuel Oboni and Community Vigilante Group are not Police Officers and do not have the power to arrest and detain any criminal element or whatsoever.

The CSO of Ikwerre LGA always work with the Security agents while going after criminal elements in the LGA and not with Community Vigilantes.

“The Community Vigilantes across the LGA are independent security operatives being supervised by the Nigeria Police Force and not working for Ikwerre Local Government Council or any individual but working for their respective communities so as to assist the police and other security agencies in ensuring peace and order.

The Chairman of Ikwerre LGA further explained that he does not dictate to the community vigilantes what to do or what not to do. Rather, the LGA has a law regulating their activities.

He accused “those peddling the falsehood against the CSO of Ikwerre LGA Mr. Samuel Oboni were paid by the self-made enemies of Hon Nwanosike in order to demean him and tarnish his hard earned reputation. Mr. Samuel Oboni is a law abiding citizen of this country and wouldn’t take laws into his hands.