Group Petitions IGP Over Assault, Gender Violence on Enugu Woman

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Across Nigeria, News From The State, Uncategorized Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A human rights organization, operating under the platform of Civil Rights Realisation and Advancement Network (CRRAN), has petitioned the inspector General of police, (IGP), Mohammed Adamu, over case of alleged attempted murder and assault on a married woman, Mrs. Chizoba Mgbatogu, in Enugu, South- East Nigeria by one Okechukwu Nnaji, a Brazilian returnee.

The group, in the petitioned signed by its president, Barrister Olu Omotayo, and made available to African Examiner Tuesday in Enugu, called on the Nigeria’s police boss, to use his good office to carry out an unbiased investigation on the matter with a view to ensuring that the victim, gets justice.

In the petition, entitled: “Case of Gender base violence., demand for justice”, CRRAN, narrated how Mr. Nnaji, who claimed to have just came back from Brazil, almost strangulated Mrs. Mgbatogu, to death, after bashing her vehicle where it was packed in front of her house closed to her shop at New Haven area of Enugu.

According to the petition, “it was a case of attempted Murder and assault, occasioning grievous harm on the victim, Mrs. “Chizoba Mgbatogu, and damage to her vehicle by Okechukwu Nnaji.

It read thus: “We write to you in respect of the above-mentioned matter on behalf of Mrs. Chizoba Mgbatogu of No.50, Marcus Garvey Street, New Haven,
Enugu.

“Mrs. Mgbatogu informed us that on the 21st day of June 2020, while in her shop at Marcus Garvey Street New Haven, she parked her vehicle in front of her house which is just near her shop. Mr. Okechukwu Nnaji while driving a Lexus jeep reversed and damaged her vehicle where it was parked.

“According to her Mr. Okechukwu Nnaji, only came down from his vehicle looked at the back of his jeep and wanted to enter his vehicle back to drive away. Mrs. Mgbatogu said she stood up from her shop and went to meet him and told him that she is the owner of the vehicle he damaged while reversing his car and he has to repair her car.

“At that point, Mr. Nnaji turned back and rained several slaps and fist blows on Mrs. Mgbatogu, and squeezed her neck to strangulate her. Passersby ran towards them and saved Mrs. Mgbatogu from further beatings.

“Police from New Haven Police Station were called in and they took Mr. Nnaji and Mrs. Mgbatogu to the Police Station, and she collapsed there due to the beatings inflicted on her, and her husband who just came to the Police Station had to carry her assisted by the Police inside his vehicle and took her to the hospital.

“Mrs. Mgabtogu spent 2days at Park Lane Hospital before she was discharged after X-ray was done to know the extent of injury done to her neck. The Copy of the police Medical Repot, and the Neck/Cervical X-ray Report is attached to this petition.

The group said “It should be noted that Mrs. Mgbatogu vehicle was taken by the Police to the Police station since that 21st June, 2020 and was detained there at alongside that of Mr. Okechukwu Nnaji, her assailant. The Police have since released the vehicle of the assailant while the vehicle of Mrs. Mgbatogu is still been detained because she didn’t have money to bail her vehicle from the Police Station.

It added: “the Police said the parties should settle, but the assailant Okechukwu Nnaji who claimed to just come back from Brazil was boasting that Mr. Mgbatogu cannot do anything because the couple demanded for justice.

The Mgbatogus’ got a lawyer to write to the Commissioner of Police Enugu State, demanding for justice as they were not satisfied with the way the Police at New Haven Police station were handling the matter.

“Copies of the said petitions are attached herewith.As there was no response to the petition written to the Commissioner of Police the couple were left at the mercy of the New Haven Police Station where the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Mrs. Hope Isiani Okereke, insisted that the couple are troublemakers and they should collect the N50,000 Naira offered by the assailant for the treatment of Mrs. Mgbatogu.

“Mr. Mgbatogu said he borrowed over N300,000 Naira on the treatment, X-ray and scan conducted on his wife. As Mr. & Mrs. Mgbatogu continued to demand for justice the Divisional Police Officer says the matter is “two fighting” that she and Mr. Nnaji be charged for “Affray”.

“Mrs. Mbgatogu was thereafter turned to an accused person as she was charged to court alongside Mr. Okechukwu Nnaji for Affray. The copies of the Police arraignment Notice and the Charge sheet are hereby jointly attached herewith.

The organization insisted that this is a case of gender violence where manifest injustice has been done to the victim because she is a poor citizen. Her vehicle which was parked in front of her house where the assailant went and rammed his car onto it, is’ still being detained by the police.

“The assailant is now the one dictating to the Police because he has money, hence the reason for the Police now saying the case is case of two fighting and charging the innocent woman for Affray alongside the assailant.

“We urge you to immediately order a thorough unbiased investigation into this case, with a view to ensure justice in this case as the circumstances of this case demand.

“Mr. Okechukwu Nnaji, should be charged for the offence he committed and made to face the full wrath of the law, nobody is above the law. We also demand that Mrs. Mgbatogus’ car be released to her unconditionally.

When African Examiner contacted the state police public relations officer, Daniel Ndukwe, he said “my brother to be frank with you I’m not aware of this matter. You are just bringing it to my knowledge, I will make inquiry later in the day to find out what actually happened.”

However, several calls to Mr. Nnaji’s phone number were not answered and He did not reply our text messages either.