- Safiu Kehinde
An Imo State University student, Ikechukwu Godspower, has narrated how he was allegedly abducted by suspected policemen who physically assaulted him for forcefully extorting him of N200,000.
Ikechukwu who narrated his ordeal in a now viral video shared on X on Saturday disclosed that he was picked by the policemen alongside three of his coursemates after their examination.
As against his thought that the officers would only conduct a search and free them, the student claimed they driven to an unknown forest where they were brutalized and threatened with a knife while been handcuffed.
Ikechukwu disclosed that the assault on him began when the officers demanded N600,000 from him after checking his bank account.
“Yesterday I was coming from exam. Then some group group of men said they were police. They held me and told me to enter bus. So I entered their bus.
“They carried me and three of my coursemates. I thought it was regular police that will just do search and just free us because I know nothing was with and nothing can ever be with me.
“Me thinking it was regular Police, I followed them to enter the bus. Lo and behold, they started taking us to deep forest in Owerri here because I’m schooling in Owerri.
“As we got to the forest, they told me to open my phone. They went I to my Access bank and checked my account balance. They told me out of my account balance, I have to transfer N600,000 to them. I told them I cannot transfer N600,000 and they slapped me.
“Before they slapped me, they have started slapping my coursemates. They even carried knife. They cuffed me tightly that blood was not even flowing in my hand.” He said.
The student further narrated that he had pleaded to transfer N50,000 to the officers who verbally assaulted him and dishes out another round of slap.
His plea to make it N100,000 was again rejected by the officers who allegedly lowered the bargain to N400,000.
Ikechukwu however managed to seal N170,000 negotiation with them but still ended up paying N200,000 before being pushed out of the car.
He claimed to have transfered N170,000 from his Access Bank account to an account with the name Bonaventure Linus.
“I told them that I could do N50,000 and they were like are you stupid? Is your father stupid? What will N50,000 do for us. As I was talking, the one sitting in front gave me another hot slap in my eye again. That same eye and same position. I was very scared and I said okay I can do N100,000. They tear me another one again in that same eye.
“I said Sir how much do you want, they said N400,000 last. I said Sir I’m a student, I cannot do N400,000. They tear me another slapped again.
“We ended up at N170,000. I sent them N170,000 transfer and 30k cash. They told me they will drop me somewhere they picked me from.
“But they dropped at an unknown destination and pushes me out of the motor forcefully.
“They told me I should find my way. My other coursemates that they carried, till now I haven’t heard from them.
“I don’t know if those people are Police because in Owerri now they have now started having thieves that are disguising themselves as Police.
“I don’t understand why Police will brutally beat somebody like this, handcuffed somebody. Hitting somebody with a gun and collect money forcefully from people. I’m not making this video to collect my money back or to say police is bad or anything.
“I’m just making the video to put Owerri people, especially the young people on alert that they should be guided because this thing is no longer funny.
“The brutality is no longer funny. Like this now, I can barely see and barely use my hands.” He said.
Reacting to the post, the Imo Police Command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, disclosed the commencement of investigation over the allegations.
He however urged the student to officially report at the Police Public Relations.
“The Imo State Police Command has commenced investigation into this complaint.
“The complainant is advised to report at the Police Public Relations Department or call 08148024755 for further assistance.” The Imo Police spokesperson commented on the post.