Joe Ajaero, Femi Falana SAN
By Our Reporter
Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN has called on the Inspector General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun to investigate and ensure the prosecution of the police personnel who brutalised the Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajaero.
The police had earlier arrested Ajaero in Owerri, the Imo state capital while organizing a rally to protest against stalled wage payments for workers in the state.
The NLC later said Ajaero was “thoroughly” brutalised and almost blinded.
But in a press statement released by Imo State Command Public Relations Officer, ASP Okoye Henry, the police claimed that Ajaero was taken into custody for protection.
However, Falana described the version of the story as presented by the police as questionable.
In a statement on Wednesday, Falana said, “We call on the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, to investigate and ensure that the police officers who brutalised the NLC President are prosecuted without any delay.”
“The police version of the brutalisation of the NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajero is full of loopholes.
“As soon as Comrade Ajero showed up at the venue of the rally, he was surrounded by a team of police personnel led by the Commissioner of Police of Imo State.
“Why did the police allow Comrade Ajero to be brutalised by the so-called miscreants? In other words, why did the police not protect him from the violent attack?
“By the way, why did the police officers not arrest the miscreants who brutalised the NLC President in their presence?
“So the police who witnessed the attack without making any arrest suddenly turned round to take the victim to the police clinic. The members of the public who decried the barbaric attack took pictures which have exposed the misleading version of the police. In fact, the pictures confirm that the miscreants are actually police personnel!
“It is disturbing that the police justified the action of the so-called miscreants by saying that Comrade Ajero has disobeyed the order of a court. Why did the police not allow the court to purge Comrade Ajero of contempt of court?” the senior asked rhetorically
