Onitsha based businessman alleges threat to his life by DPO
Contingent Commander, Ehide introduces Lagos State Police Command, Ward Ogbu to Amisom Mogadishu Regional Commander of the Nigeria Formed Police Unit, Mustapha Alamutu, on 6th January 2014 at Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu. Ward Ogbu had arrived with seventy officers to replace seventy officers who were leaving Mogadishu after completing their rotation. The AMISOM Police which comprises Ugandan, Nigerian, Ghanaian, Sierra Leoneian police,has the mandate to provide mentoring and advisory support to SPF on basic police duties, such as human rights observation, crime prevention strategies, community policing, search procedures and investigations. AU UN IST PHOTO / David Mutua
An Onitsha-based businessman, Mr. Michael Ugwa, has sent a ‘Save Our Soul’, SOS message to the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, asking him to intervene in the threat to his life by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO of Central Police Station, CPS, Onitsha, Mr Ifeanyichukwu Iburu.
In the petition by Ugwa’s lawyer, Madukaego Uzoigwe, dated August 5, 2021,but submitted and received by the office of the Commissioner on August 6, 2021, Ugwa alleged that the DPO, Iburu has not only threatened his life but also taken steps to that effect by dispatching armed and plain cloth Policemen to his shop at Old Mercedes Lorry Spare Parts Market, Nkpor, a suburb of Onitsha on different occasions.
The lawyer in the petition which was copied to the the Police Service Commission, PSC, Inspector-General of Police, IGP and, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, AIG, zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra state also alleged that there was “serious threat of arrest and detention or kidnap of Mr. Michael Ugwa by Mr. Iburu, the DPO, CPS, Onitsha, adding that the DPO had trailed his client, Ugwa with armed plain cloth Policemen and threatened to deal ruthlessly with him.
“The problem, said the legal practitioner, started when the DPO on June 18, 2021 approached his client to purchase his 1513 tipper truck through his client’s mechanic, one Chizoba at his (Chizoba)’s mechanic workshop beside Old Mercedes Spare Parts iMarket at Nkpor, where the vehicle was on display for sale”.
“After negotiation, said the legal practitioner, they agreed at the price of six million, six hundred and fifty thousand naira (N6,650,000) but not without disagreement which made Iburu to warn his client to be aware that he is the DPO of CPS, Onitsha.
Uzoigwe said Iburu paid N6.6 million in three instalments, remaining fifty thousand naira but his client refused to release the truck until the remaining N50,000 is paid by Iburu.
He however allowed Mr. Iburu to commence the plate numbering even before concluding the payment, but curiously, while driving one day, he saw a driver with the vehicle on the road and he claimed that he was testing it.
Ugwa however, told him to return the vehicle since they have not fully paid.
At this juncture Iburu called Ugwa, requesting to take the vehicle and that he would pay the balance in the next two weeks, which said he rejected.
This, said the lawyer, irritated the DPO who allegedly boasted and threatened to deal with Ugwa, who pleaded with the DPO to send his account number so that he would return his money because he does not want problem with anybody.
At about 6.30pm on Saturday, June 19, 2021, the DPO paid another six hundred thousand (N600,000) and demanded to take the vehicle which Ugwa refused because the last fifty thousand (50,000)), had not been paid.
The DPO again, said the lawyer threatened his client, then came at about 8pm with the mechanic and called his client to come and collect his remaining money but his client told them it was too late for him to come out.
After much pressure from the DPO, he went and was shocked when the DPO besieged him with armed Policemen to carry the truck by force, without completing the balance.
Shocked Ugwa raised alarm which attracted people who prevailed on him to allow the DPO take away the truck.
As Ugwa was going with pain and the DPO was driving away the truck , people persuaded him to pray and bless the vehicle, which he reluctantly did and left, while the DPO with his armed men drove away the truck.
After this incident, said the lawyer, an insurance lady came on June 21, 2021, with purchase receipt agreement of the sum of eight million naira (N8 million) for his client to sign.
