By CHARLES IWUOHA

A Police Constable, Ophedo Chidera, attached to Anara Divisional Police Headquarters in Isiala Mbano Local Government Area of Imo State, on Monday allegedly brutalised one Chidiebere Azuatalam at the police station over N5,000 bail bribe.

It was gathered that the victim was at the police divisional headquarters to seek to bail a widow, Akudo Chimezie, who was arrested by the police officer.

The cop had held the widow in custody and insisted that she must allegedly pay him the sum of N10,000 before she could regain her freedom. Worried by the action of the police officer the widow then contacted the victim, who is her relative, to bail her.

Speaking to journalists from his hospital bed, the victim said that Chidera asked him to bring N10,000 as a bribe for the window to be released from the police custody.

Azuatalam said that he pleaded with the constable to take N5,000 and release his relative, an appeal that infuriated the cop and he pounced on him.

The victim said: “When I got to the police station, the IPO asked me to bring N10,000 before he will give me my aunty on bail. I told him to take N5,000 because of the window’s pitiable financial condition. He immediately got angry and asked me to leave his presence. I told him to calm down, reminding him that the Inspector General of Police said that bail is free.

“He immediately pounced on me, using all available weapons on me. He broke my lips, jaw, chins. My eyes were equally affected. He threatened to shoot me and that nothing will happen. It was another police officer who came out from one of the offices that rescued me from him. As I speak to you, my teeth are shaking and I am having huge pains, internally. This is an intimidation.”

It was further gathered that the said police constable was in the habit of intimidating people. He was said to had been transferred out of the division before but he worked himself back to the station.

When contacted, the Police Spokesperson in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, who confirmed the incident, said that the command’s Police Complaint Bureau would handle the matter.

Ikeokwu said that the errant cop had been arrested and detained, adding that disciplinary actions had commenced against him.

He assured that the cop would face the wrath of the law if found culpable.

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