A young man, Cletus Emmanuel Onyekachi, has accused operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Miniokoro Police Division, Rivers State, of unlawful arrest, extortion and assault along Igbo-Etche Road.

Onyekachi alleged that the incident occurred on Monday while he was returning from a car wash with his younger brother and a female companion. He said police operatives stopped them, inspected his vehicle papers and claimed his tinted permit had expired.

He further alleged that the officers demanded N1 million for his release. After offering N20,000, which was rejected, the situation escalated into violence. According to him, one officer slapped him, pushed him to the ground and kicked him in the face, while another whipped him on the ankle and shoulder, causing him to collapse.

Onyekachi also claimed that his younger brother, who tried to intervene, was assaulted, while the female companion was stripped naked on suspicion of recording the encounter. He further alleged that the operatives left him unconscious, took his brother and his vehicle, and later pushed his brother out of the moving car with one handcuff still on him. Their phones were also allegedly seized.

Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Rivers State Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said there was no official record of such an incident in the state. She explained that the Anti-Kidnapping Unit denied involvement and stressed that the victim would need to identify the officers allegedly responsible.

"I asked Anti-Kidnapping and they said nothing of such happened. So I want him to come for us to do an identification parade. That is the only way we can do it, because he is the one that can identify them. I want him to take his time to take treatment. Let him come,” she said. (The Guardian)