Anambra police refutes attack on 98-yr-old woman

Anambra state Police Command has refuted an online report on the police assault of a 98-year -old woman, describing the report as false and misleading.

Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Haruna Mohammed said that the attention of the command has been drawn to online media reports that policemen attached to the command’s Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) allegedly beat up a 98-year-old woman, Cecilia Okpalaku of Achina in Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra state, assaulting her with an Ak-47 rifle over a family dispute.

Mohammed said the facts of the matter is that on August 19, the police commissioner received a formal complaint from a legal practitioner that his client, one Esther Nzekwe was assaulted by her fiancée, one Emeka Okpalaku and that the man also confiscated her credentials including her NYSC call up letter in order to prevent her from reporting to NYSC camp.

According to Mohammed, the complainant further alleged that the suspect was planning to travel back to Japan where he is based.

He said that following the petition, the police commissioner ordered for a full scale investigation into the matter and that the police detectives visited the house to invite the suspect, but as soon as he sighted the police, he ran inside the house and locked all the entrances.

“All efforts by the police to prevail on the suspect to open the doors proved abortive until the police used power of ingress to gain access into the house, but the suspect eventually escaped.

“Consequently, the police equally rescued a one- year -old daughter of the complainant who was equally locked inside the house and was crying ceaselessly without care.

“Till date, the suspect is still on the run and has not returned the credentials he forcefully collected from the lady while investigation is still ongoing.

“The command is wondering why the very person who allegedly assaulted a woman and deprived her from participating in the national youth service will be the very person spreading falsehood that the police assaulted a 98-year- old woman using an AK-47 rifle which is totally false and unfounded.

“In view of the foregoing, the public are enjoined to ignore such publications which are aimed at raising false alarm and casting aspersions against the force in order to divert attention from the real facts,” he added