Fifty seven year old widow, Madam Elizabeth Anubalu, has cried to police high authority in Anambra state command over her plight and those of her family members in the hands of their operative.
Madam Anubalu who spoke to journalists at Enugu-Ukwu, General Hospital on Monday said she was arrested in her house at Ezinimo village, Eziowelle, Idemili North Local Government Area, by plain clothed men in company of her family members.
She said the men who later identified themselves as police personnel said they were from IG Squad, Abuja but moved her to Special Anti Cultism Squad (SPACS) office Enugu Ukwu where they were detained one night.
Anubalu said the officers did not disclose the reason for the arrest but was surprised when she overheard one of them saying that her daughter in law was the one keeping guns for her husband who they accused of cultism.
“As I was returning from church on Wednesday, two women rushed and started beating me, as I was struggling to free myself, a man in mufti came in and joined them.
“Men with SPACS uniform came out from the back of my house and started hitting me with cutlass, they handcuffed me and in the process, I fell down but that didn’t deter them as they dragged me on the floor.
“My daughter in law who came to find out what was happening was accused of keeping guns for her husband and they started beating her too.” Madam Anubalu explained.
She said that the police operatives later took her and her daughter in-law to the Police Anti Cult unit Enugu-Ukwu in private vehicle after they have brutalising them and were detained overnight under inhuman condition.
The widow who spoke in an emotion laden voice said that she was in the hospital to get treatment for the physical and emotional toture she was subjected to by the policemen.
She passionately appealed to the Inspector General of Police(IGP) to set up an enquiry into the matter and ensure that justice is done noting that the police operatives were just being used by certain elements who want to wipe out her family.
The daughter in-law, Gloria Anubalu, a nursing mother who suffered similar fate with that of the fifty seven year old widow said that she was detained overnight without allowing her to take her little baby along with her.
Gloria said that the police personnel bundled her and her mother inlaw away without any warrant while the house doors were left open with children inside.
“I was preparing dinner for my family when my son shouted that some people were beating mama, when I went outside, I saw two men holding her hand to her back while two family members were beating her. Later, my husband’s cousin told them that I am the wife of the cultist they were looking for and that I am the one who normally keep guns for his cult group.
“They wanted to handcuff me like a common criminal but I resisted and they started beating me even when I told them that I gave birth recently with CS, they got infuriated by my boldness and brutalised us the more.” She said amid tears.
Aloysius Anubalu, son of the widow who was accused of being a cultist alleged that his family is being intimidated and witch-hunted with policemen of the land issue he had with his cousins.
Aloysius who pointed out that the matter was already in court expressed shock that police officers will allow themselves to be used to fight vendetta.
He alleged that there is thick conspiracy to use police to intimidate and destroy his family even as he pleaded with police high command to come to the aid of his family because their lives are in serious danger.
Dr Uche Okeke of Enugu-Ukwu General Hospital who was attending to the women said they came with the hospital with bruises and severe pains.
“The two women were among the patients I attended to on Friday, they were in pains and bruises having been allegedly being brutalised by some policemen.” He noted.
When contacted over the matter, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Anambra State Command, Haruna Mohammed (CSP) denied knowledge of the matter but said that the brutalized persons should formally write a petition to the IGP for proper investigation.
