Police molestation: SARS frustrating investigation – Victim’s family
The family of the 98-year-old Cecilia Okpalaku, who was recently harassed and injured by operatives of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS), has lamented over the resistance of the Special police department to allow for proper investigation into the matter.
It would recalled that in August, 2019, there were reports of an incident in Achina, Anambra State where SARS operatives, in a bid to forcefully gain entry into the home of Mrs. Cecilia Okpalaku, molested and injured her.
Mrs. Okpalaku, 98, is a mother to one Emeka Okpalaku.
It was observed that Emeka had a disagreement with his wife, Esther Chiemerie Okpalaku (nee Ezekwe), over alleged termination of pregnancy.
Emeka accused his wife, Esther of terminating a pregnancy that would have produced them a second child, while he was abroad.
Reports had it that the embattled wife, Esther, (who lived with the husband in a rented house), stormed the husband’s hometown, Achina with some SARS operatives and in the process allegedly attacked and assaulted the 98-year-old Mrs. Cecilia, who tried to stop them from gaining entry into the house.
The incident happened when Emeka had travelled back to his base abroad.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mohammed Harunna, noted that the SARS operatives had to forcefully gain entry into the house because they sighted the suspect (Emeka) who they said confiscated the credentials of his wife Esther, after their disagreement, in order to deny her the chance to report to NYSC camp.
The family of the victim, Mrs. Cecilia had for long petitioned for a full scale investigation over the matter.
In their petition, they presented travel documents suggesting that Emeka had travelled before the incident, contrary to what police claimed.
They accused the SARS operatives of illegally invading their home, attacked and inflicted serious injury on their aged mother.
The victim’s family alleged that the matter had since been moved to the State’s Special Investigation Bureau (SIB), a police department in-charge of investigation, but no progress had been made, due to reluctance of the SARS Department to cooperate with Investigation Bureau.
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According to Nze Nathaniel Okpalaku, a member of the aggrieved family, Esther Chiemerie Okpalaku (nee Ezekwe) and her friend, Jennifer Okafor, were last Thursday arrested by the police SIB unit for interrogation, but the arrest was intercepted by the SARS department.
Mr. Nathaniel opined that the action of the SARS to foil an arrest by police counterpart called for proper investigation of the interest of SARS in the case, suggesting that SARS department had taken a side.
The family has however vowed to pursue the matter until justice prevails over the illegal transfer of aggression and consequent hospitalisation of their aged mother, Mrs. Cecilia Okpalaku by the operatives of SARS.
