A man who goes by the username ‘The Precious One’ on Twitter has narrated his brutal experience in hands of one Inspector Andy Amama, attached to the Monitoring Team of the Zone ‘6’ Police Command, in Calabar, on Saturday.
Read his unedited account, which he tweeted via, @damiancaring:
Yesterday night (October 5, 2019) around 8:30pm, I was driving alongside a colleague into Calabar from Ogoja.
We both work for a Pharmaceutical company and we were returning from official duties to supply drugs to a hospital with urgent need.
As we approached 8miles in Calabar, I was driving slowly on the lane close to culvert, I had almost overtook a black fully tinted Toyota Camry (2010-muscle), when I noticed that he was swerving towards me.
So I had to press my horn to draw his attention so as to avoid an accident. But he was unperturbed and I was forced to climb the culvert (midline) so as to prevent him from scratching my car.
However, he swerved towards me. He then scratched my vehicle at the back towards the rear passenger door.
I then parked by the side of the road to assess the situationI had suspected that the person driving the Camry erratically could be a law enforcement officer bearing in mind that his car is fully tinted black.
So I was even prepared to beg even though I wasn’t at all at fault.
On getting down to assess our car, he crossed us on the road in commando-style, he came down with another guy- both in mufti, staggering and boasting. He beat me to stupor even before I could start talking. He punched and kicked me. He asked for my car keys at gun point and took it from the ignition.
While begging him, he said, why should I be horning at him, that where did I get the “audacity” to be horning at him, that I had no right to do that and he will teach me a lesson. So, the beating continued.At this point I was already on the floor being kicked, marched on, and threatened with gun.
I staggered to the back of my car pleading with him not to shoot me, he then fired a shot and I didn’t know how that bullet missed me.
I really don’t know, that was a miracle.
I could perceive alcohol all over him while he was beating me & that got me even more scared and I was just ready to plead for my life.
He dragged me to assess his vehicle and lo and behold, it was just a little minor scratch (about 7cm) that was on his car, no dent. I begged…but he kept beating me.
People (citizens around there) came around, begged him on my behalf.
When it seems that he was not taking any plea, they got tired and one of the people then made a statement that, “even if you be Ayade (The Governor), with the way this boy don beg you..and you don beat this boy tire despite him not being at fault, Ayade sef for don accept”
That statement made him go bonkers and berserk, an argument ensued between him and the guy. He brought out his gun again, hit the guy on the head with the butt of his gun, he started bleeding. The officer then started shooting sporadically. At that point, we all fled for safety. He came back, used his gun to destroy the front, side and rear windscreen of my car. He probably hurt his hand as he was destroying our car.
Minutes later when I was sure he had left…I regained some strength and I located my colleague and we came back to the car to pick the pieces of our lives and assess the new damage.
We had to opt to tow our vehicle from that spot since the officer had left with our car key. We had planned to tow the car to a safe place and……then go and report at the nearest police station.
While waiting for the towing van, having frantically secured one, he came back again with some police officers (some in mufti as well). I was scared.
I was shocked when they said they had come to arrest me and wondered why? He still continued to beat me.
The policemen handcuffed me and took me in their vehicle to police station (Ikpai Omni Police Station, 8miles, Calabar).
At the station, he and his friends changed the entire story, lying that I bashed his car, that I organized touts to beat him and destroy his car. How could that be possible in a city where I am a stranger, I arrived Calabar just 3 days ago from Lagos on official duties. I don’t even speak the local language, not to talk of being able to organize anyone.
Many unbelievable lies. He lied that it was people that were throwing stones that destroyed my car and that they destroyed his own car too.
A BIG LIE because his blood from the injury he sustained while damaging our windscreen is all over the windscreen of our car.
Inspector Amama said he want me locked up and charged to court for assault and damage to his property and that I will repair his car and screen…
A CASE OF THE OFFENDER ACCUSING THE OFFENDED AND TRAMPLING ON HIS LIFE.
A ridiculous and unbelievable accusation!He even lied that he didn’t go with our car keys even though people saw him do so. In fact, he attempted to drive our car away at some point.
I explained my ordeal. Police got the towing van we had earlier called to tow our car to their station. I insisted that they should makehim bring his car to the station yesterday night so he doesn’t tamper with evidence as he had lied he sustained injuries and that his car was vandalized but the police at the station could not get him to bring his car as he had gone to park it far away.
After several hours, I got myself released as I can’t imagine what will happen to me overnight with the injuries that I have already sustained. The whole event still seems to me like a bad dream.
Did this really happen to me?
Am I dreaming? I am still wondering how a human being can be so callous to inflict so much injury and pain on an innocent person like me.
I have been reading stories like this in the media but I didn’t know it could ever happen to me. I am now so traumatized, I’m shock and so confused. I have not been able to sleep and the event is haunting me greatly.
I am in pain and agony. I am presently on the hospital for checks and treatment. I’m still in shock.
This is my story from my hospital bed. As at now, absolutely nothing has been done.
Fine I was called just to confirm the incident by @PoliceNG_CRU staff who refused to mention his name.
The call inspired NO confidence that anything will be done.
Car is still in Ikpai Omni Police Station
What exactly is been done?