A chief magistrate has allegedly been attacked by some police officers in Owerri, Imo state. The chief magistrate was reportedly assaulted alongside some lawyers after robbery suspects were discharged.
According to The Punch, the chief magistrate identified as Ngozi Onyenemezu was attacked after two robbery suspects Emma Eke and Chukwuemeka Anyanwu were ordered to be discharged.
It was gathered that the policemen who had brought the robbery suspect in went berserk and attacked both the magistrate and the lawyers that defended the case for the suspects. The robbery suspects were reportedly beaten up by the policemen.
Chinedu Agu who is the assistant secretary of Owerri chapter of the Nigerian Bar Association made the claims to newsen.
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Agu also revealed that it was the area commander that rescued the magistrate and the lawyers.
Read statement below:
“In his ruling, the court upheld the arguments of the counsel and struck out the charge. Immediately the ruling was delivered and while the court was still sitting, the police went berserk.
They shouted and rained vituperation on the magistrate and made to rearrest the accused persons. When the court wanted to call them to order, the policemen made for the magistrate like rabid dogs and the magistrate quickly took refuge in his chambers.
Some other lawyers and litigants scampered to safety when the police started shooting into the air. Anyanwu in the process escaped the beating by the police and scurried into the Magistrate’s chambers.
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The policemen, led by the DPO of that division, banged on the door of the magistrate’s chambers, accusing him of taking a bribe and threatening to break down the door if he didn’t open it.
The DPO got hold of the accused persons and in the process of rearresting them, one escaped. He accused Eke of complicity in the escape of the other accused person.
Before he could explain himself, he got hold of one of the nail-ridden chairs and smashed it on Eke’s head . Other policemen joined in them and Emma was ma1med and beaten into a pulp.
It took the quick intervention of the Area Commander who arrived at the scene to rescue the magistrate."
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However, the state police command has denied the allegations, claiming that it was the lawyers who attacked the policemen. The spokesperson Andrew Enwerem also stated that the magistrate and the court were not attacked.
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Source: Naija.ng
