PH Bizman Seeks Justice Over Police Torture …As Police Deny Allegation

A Port Harcourt-based businessman in Rivers State, Hon Stephen Nlewechi, has cried out for justice over an alleged torture unleashed  on him and some members of his household by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad popularly called SARS, over the ownership of a disputed plot of land between him and one Mr Adentuyi Gbenga Benson, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (ASPP) attached to the SARS.
Hon Nlewechi alleged that he was manhandled and brutalised by operatives of SARS who invaded his house at about 3am on 2nd April, 2017 and added that the situation had brought untold hardship and health challenges to his family.
Speaking to journalists at his residence in Omachi, Rumuodumaya  in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state at the weekend, Hon Nlewechi explained that DSP Benson wanted to kill him because of dispute over the ownership of the parcel of land.
He alleged that his refusal to allow ASP Benson take his land forcefully made him to accuse him of keeping bad boys in his house which according to him was a ploy to terminate his life at all cost in order to enable him have his land.
He further alleged that the disputed land which Mr Benson was claiming ownership of was given to him by Omachi community after the indigenes could not pay him for a sand filing and clearing job his company did for the community.
According to him, the Omachi community gave him the land as payment for the job which he had since developed and added that Mr Benson later brought forged documents claiming that the land was given to him by a Rumuagholu community.
“Mr Benson Adentuyi Gbenga led other SARS operatives to my  house at 3am, barged into my house, hit me with mortar pestle at the back of my neck, cut me on my leg with knife, and 1 bled profusely   and was rushed to the police clinic by SARS Commander .”They destroyed my security fence, 8 doors, stole my six puppies and N1.8 million”, he alleged.
Hon Nlewechi said a member of his household,  Nnamdi Wali, was still lying critically ill at Le Meridian Hospital,  D-Line, Port Harcourt as a result of the injuries sustained during the alleged unslaught by the SARS at his home on that fateful day and added that the medical bill for the operation was put at N450,000 by the hospital management.
He used the opportunity to call on the Inspector-General of  Police and the Police Service Commission to ensure that justice was done on the matter even as he thanked CSP Akin Fakorade and the state police command for responding swiftly to his distress call on that fateful day.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO)  in the state, DSP Nnamdi Omoni said the police was aware of the incident.
DSP Omoni however, said  the police did not invade the victim’s residence as well as torture him as alleged, insisting rather that the police men used force on him  because he put up some resistance during the operation.
The state police spokesperson said the police came to his house for search based on a petition that he was harbouring  some bad boys at his home and added that Prince Stephen Nlewechi would be charged to court when ever he recovered from his sickness even as he said police could conduct search at any time.