Hospitalised Policeman Decries Neglect In Rivers, Seeks Support For Surgery

The family of a policeman, Sergeant Emehuru Oluchukwu, who survived a recent attack by gunmen at the Elimgbu Police Station in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, has decried the attitude of the police authorities towards his plight.
Oluchukwu’s wife, Ngozi, while speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, said they needed urgent help to sustain her husband and prepare him for surgery in order to remove the bullets in his body.
It would be recalled that yet-to-be-identified gunmen had attacked the Elimgbu Police Station, killing three cops and carting away four rifles, while the sergeant sustained serious gunshot injuries.
Mrs. Oluchukwu said her husband has been at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) after the incident a fortnight ago, saying he was in pain.
She expressed disappointment that the state police command had neither visited him in the hospital nor did anything to show concern for their officer, who was wounded while on duty.
She further said, “Things are very difficult without me and my children because my husband was everything. It is now I know that when your partner is not around, then, you will know something has really happened to you.
“The worst part is that both the former and present Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), none of them has shown concern to even come and check to see how he is doing in the hospital. Nobody to assist”.
The visibly disturbed woman said, the doctors had mentioned that they needed to treat the injuries he sustained before taking him to the theatre to remove the bullet in his body.
“Money is the problem now. So, we need help to at least support my husband to come back to his feet,” she stated.
Similarly, the injured officer’s elder brother, Agbandu Onuchukwu, said there were three bullets in the sergeant’s body, and that he was in pain, and appealed to the Rivers State Government to take over his treatment.
“He has four children, three girls and one boy. Since this incident happened, I have not seen anybody.
“This incident happened at the Elimgbu Police Station. I believe the Commissioner of Police has visited that station, but why can’t he visit my brother?
“So, I am begging the Rivers State Government to help us and take over the treatment. I spend N1000 daily for dressing of the wound, not to talk of his feeding and his family,” he added.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka, said the incident was unfortunate, saying he had visited the injured officer in the hospital, yesterday afternoon.
“I visited him in the hospital, today (Thursday). Though he was asleep when I got there, but I saw the wife. We are doing what we are supposed to do,” Eboka stated.