A lawyer, Paul Igwe, who hails from Izzi, Ebonyi State but practices in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, has allegedly been harassed and illegally detained by the DPO of Eastern Ngwa Police Division at Umuobiakwa, Mr. Okon Ekpe Asuquo CSP on 18th August, 2020. The lawyer was arraigned the next day, Wednesday 19th August 2020, at Orie Agalaba Magistrate Court 2, sitting at Aba.

A source who was part of the Lawyers that put up representation said Igwe was harassed over civil transaction between his client and third party

He said “sometimes in January 2020 his client Mr. Douglas Ezeocha was taking his Truck to Aba for repair when along old Umuahia road his Truck developed some faults and broke down. In an attempt to get his Truck repaired one of his client’s friends whom his client was owing the sum of 14k (Fourteen Thousand Naira) sited his client and his Truck on the road side, and immediately rushed to the nearby Police Station being Eastern Ngwa Police Division, Umuobiakwa brought Police men and got the said Douglas arrested and equally towed his Truck to the Police Station.

“When our Colleague Paul Igwe Esq., was alerted by his client Mr. Douglas he proceeded to the Police Station the next day to apply for the bail of his client knowing that the issue is one of a failed business transaction and not a criminal case. The DPO insisted that his client must pay the 14k there before he could be granted bail, which the said Lawyer advised his client to do in the interest of peace and the said money was paid to the IPO, one Nwadike Jones.

“His client equally paid some money for his bail, but the DPO insisted that his client must pay the sum of 100k to him before the truck could be released to him. This the lawyer disagreed with the DPO, even though his client offered to pay 20k to the DPO and he refused.”

Igwe instituted a Fundamental Right Enforcement suit against the Commissioner of Police, the DPO and the IPO at the High Court of Abia State, Obingwa Division sitting at Aba for the continuous illegal detention of his client’s Truck.

The Police refused to file anything in defense of the suit and after series of hearing notices were served on the Respondents the suit was determined by the court against the Police, mandating the Police to release the Vehicle to the Client and also pay N2 Million Naira damages for unlawful detention.

On Tuesday, the 18th August 2020, Igwe called the IPO in view of the Court Order to release the Truck to his client and the IPO requested that the lawyer comes to the Police station with his client and with the Original Copy of the Vehicle Particulars.

Tje next day 19th August, 2020 Igwe proceeded to the Police station with his client and his client’s wife in anticipation of the release of the vehicle to them. He went straight to the IPO with the original copy of the Vehicle Particulars and the Enrol Order of the High Court Judgment mandating them to release the Vehicle.

The trouble then started. Igwe was beaten thoroughly for demanding that the order be obeyed.

“The IPO requested him to wait for the DCO to come . While waiting for the DCO, the IPO proceeded into the office of the DPO with the copy of the Enrol Order and was having a chat with the DPO, the next thing the Lawyer heard was that the DPO started raising his voice and at the same time rushed out of his office towards the Lawyer saying, ‘so you’re that charge and bail lawyer who thinks that you can take me to court abi, I will not release the Vehicle, let the Judge who gave the order come here and take the vehicle away. You must comply with my request or else nobody will release the Vehicle to you.’ ”

Igwe did not say anything. However, the DPO continued by saying that he is not even sure whether Igwe was a real lawyer or a fake one. The DPO demanded Igwe’s Identity Card to prove that he is a Lawyer. Igwe showed his Complimentary Card and went on to show his Stamp and Seal affixed to a court document he newly filed in a court which he had with him at that time in an envelope.

However, “The DPO took the Complimentary Card and tore in the presence of the Lawyer and his client and said that the card and the seal is not enough to show that he is a Lawyer, that in the absence of an ID Card that he’s going to detain him there as a fake Lawyer. Immediately the DPO ordered his boys to push the Lawyer and his client into the Cell.

“At that point when the boys were about to pounce on them, the DCO who is a woman shouted on the police officers to wait that she wants to have a word with the DPO, upon an attempt for the DCO to approach the DPO maybe to remind him of the consequences of such action, the DPO who became obsessed and who was apparently acting like a man under the influence of Alcohol ignored the DCO and rushed towards the lawyer and started beating him and throwing punches all through him with his boys. And pushed the Lawyer into the Cell.

“They immediately turned to his client, Douglas Ezeocha and started beating him as well, telling him how dare him go to court and get an order instead of paying the money requested. At the point of beating the man, the man slumped and collapsed, immediately the Police officers left him on the ground. It took the intervention of the Police Women their who started pouring water on him and resuscitated him. When his client got himself he immediately took his phone and called his wife who was outside oblivious of what was happening inside the station to buy drugs for him. Immediately the woman rushed inside the station with some drugs, the DPO sited her and equally ordered his boys to detain her. Her name is Dominica.

“The DPO smashed the phone of the Lawyer when he attempted to video what was happening, and equally seized his file containing the copies of the Court Order, The Original Particulars of the Vehicle, his Complimentary Cards and other documents, and the Lawyer couldn’t make calls to inform his colleagues of what was happening. In order to cover what happened the DPO hurriedly pushed the Lawyer and his clients to court the next morning with a charge that the Lawyer is a fake Lawyer. The copy of the charge is hereto forwarded.” the source said

The NBA Aba Chairman, Mr. Bertram Faoti and his Vice mobilised other lawyers and defended Igwe at the Magistrate Court. The Legal Team was led by Clement Orji Esq. The court after showing pains and agony over the matter gave Igwe bail on self recognizance.

Immediately Police heard that the Lawyer has been granted bail, the DPO sent his boys who came to the court premises and parked their Hilux Patrol Van waiting to abduct Igwe again. It took the bravery of Lawyers on ground to foil that attempt.

“We immediately with the Chairman of the Bar proceeded to the Police Station to retrieve the personal effects of the Lawyer which they seized from him and to equally have some words with the DPO on the advice of the Magistrate, the DPO went into hiding and refused to see us even when a police officer informed us that he’s on seat.

He instead delegated his DCO to see us. We couldn’t have a discussion with the DCO who they said has been on her way back from court for over an hour. So we left to come back on Friday.”

The source lamented that they have been getting reports of constant harassment of Lawyers by the said DPO, Mr. Okon Ekpe Asuquo CSP. He has attempted detaining two Lawyers for coming to apply for bail of their clients, and so many unwarranted brutalization of innocent citizens. He has turned his Police station into debt recovery agency, and Land Matters Specialist.

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