Education
Police Drank My Palm Wine, Set My Eight Bedroom Apartment On Fire -Retired School Principal
A retired school principal and a native of Nweol community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State has alleged that the divisional police officers (DPOs) of Kpor and Bori Divisions led police teams that burnt his eight bedroom house after drinking his palm wine in 2017, and demanded the payment of N200million as compensation for the wanton destruction meted against him and family.
Mr Barikpo Sunday made these allegations when he appeared at the state Commission of Inquiry into the alleged Acts of Violence, Torture, Brutality, Murder and Violation of the Fundamental Rights of Citizens committed by officers, men and operatives of the Nigerian police in the state, last Wednesday, in Port Harcourt.
He explained that the police team met him on his way to the farm at 6.30am on that day and stopped him, adding that they asked him to bring his palm wine jar he was carrying on his hand, which they drank without paying a dime.
According to him, after the policemen drank the palm wine, they asked him if he knew where the bad boys were staying in the bush but he told them that he does not know, and they left him.
The retired principal said that after the interrogation from the police along the farm road, he proceeded to his farm and continued his daily work, adding that a minute later, the policemen invaded his farm but later left.
“They asked me whether I knew where the bad boys were, and I said no. They left me alone. I’m a retired civil servant and resorted to palm wine business and farming”.
The 66-year old retiree told members of the commission that “I got home at about 6pm on the fateful day, and met a mammoth crowd in my compound trying to stop the fire but without any success as the fire razed my building”.
He added that he lost all his properties, money, house effects, including his children’s properties and certificates.
“All my certificates and children’s certificates are gone. We cannot attend any interviews where certificates would be presented. I withdrew N150, 000 from Fidelity Bank on Friday, and on Sunday, the police set my house ablaze. Everything is gone.
“It was a Good Samaritan that gave me this clothe I’m wearing. My wife and children have nothing because we were all away from the house when the police invaded my house, and set it ablaze”, he stated.
He called on the commission to ensure that justice was done on the matter so as to salvage his family from the untold hardship facing them at the moment.
The River State Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor has called on media practitioners in Rivers State to deploy their various communication platforms toward promoting government programmes and policies aimed at achieving sustainable development in the education sector. Dr. Nwagor made the appeal when members of the Etche Ethnic Practicing Journalists (EEPJ) paid him a courtesy visit in Office in Port Harcourt. The Commissioner emphasized the strategic role of the media in shaping public perception, promoting government initiatives, and supporting policies capable of improving the quality of education and human capital development in the state. According to him, constructive media engagement remains essential in creating public awareness on educational reforms, students’ welfare, infrastructural improvements, and other interventions being implemented by the state government. Speaking on the recent appro
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