Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has struck yet again at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Akwa on 3rd of October 2019.
The university Students were attacked by SARS in the night while sleeping in their rooms beaten to stupor for the allegations they knew nothing about.
Read the account of one of the victims of the attack below:
SARS ATTACK: STORY OF MY LIFE!
I have finally had my share of SARS brutality and I must confess it wasn’t a blissful experience. I have decided to write down a little to tell readers what I pass through.
My name is OKOLI VICTOR TOCHUKWU and I am a final year student Educational foundations of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. please don’t mind my handwriting because I can barely hold anything after what they did to me.
It was on the 3rd Oct 2019 at exactly 3:12am, I heard a very loud bang on my door so I quickly got up to know who it was. As soon as I opened my door I saw two men flashing very bright lights at me and my roommates face. So I greeted them saying Good morning Sirs, please who are you? The question was followed by a very dazzling slap that wiped the sleep out of my face and one of them replied ‘we are the police’. I said okay, what is the problem officer? The question was replied with another hot slap, they pushed us inside my room and told us to get dressed after I got dressed ,they took two of my shirts from my hanger and tied us very tightly behind and escorted us down stairs. I was able to identify 6 of my lodge mates that are in 100 level, so me being the eldest I decided to speak and stand for them. I took charge and comforted them saying nothing will happen that everything will be fine.
The next thing they put us in their bus where I saw some unknown faces there too. While I was still tied up, I asked the officer and front why we are being tied up, he replied saying ” we got lead that we are members of a cult and that some of us are internet fraudsters” Shortly after we got to the station at Enugu-ukwu SPECIAL ANTI-CULTISM FORCE and were grouped according to where we were arrested.
They first told me lie down then they flogged me with cutlass and one of the officers joined in with chains. The officer asked me “ who are you?’ I replied him saying my name is Tochukwu and I am a final year student and that I was working on my assignment when I was arrested. And the beating continued.
Then two officers took me to a room that had a window so one of the officers went inside and shouted that he identified as an internet fraudster, from that moment, without any investigation or proof pointing that I am a fraudster I was beaten from 4:00am till 10:am. I was twisted and broken in many ways and had broken lips and twisted left hand. I wanted to give up and cry but I couldn’t find the tears.
One of the officers said” Oga this one no dey cry oo!!!”,that statement angered him and he stood me up cuffed and beat me again. After much endurance I just realized that if I didn’t give in they are probably going to kill me and dump my body. So I shouted and said “Yes sir I am a yahoo boy’ I was beaten again for being stubborn. He asked me to write my statement but I couldn’t hold up the pen because my hands were now numb. So the officer began to write for me .In the statement he wrote that I was an internet fraudster and asked me to sign it to which I refused to and it let to another beating.
I gave in and signed the statement and then was thrown into cell 01. The cell was the toughest and was filled with some cultist ,criminals, rapist and car thieves etc. as if it wasn’t enough the cell was tear gased to calm the cell.
I am writing this letter with two broken ankles, a fractured knee ,four numb fingers, broken lips and severe body pains all over.
Finally one of the officers asked me to pay for my release and I was asked to transfer to his bank account but the network wasn’t so powerful there so it was unsuccessful. I cant remember the account name because it didn’t work. I told one of my lodge mates that was also arrested that he should tell my good friend to withdraw all the money and come and bail me out because his parents came for him. I was still further detained because neither my dad or my mom could come from Abuja to pay for my bail.
I never stopped praying in the cell, I was nicknamed Pastor because even when all hope was lost I didn’t stop believing in God.
It was getting late and officers were ready to leave. Luckily for me bail was just right on time .I was bailed with the some of 20,000 and other small charges.
At exactly 7:35pm I was released. I went home with just the boxer I wore and one shirt from the bag of clothes. I am writing this for justice and there are so many innocent ones in prison. Their parents know nothing about their where about maybe because they weren’t given the opportunity to make calls or just total police madness. I was beaten to pulp for a crime I know nothing about. I use a tecno k7 with a broken screen, I can barely chat properly and I don’t even have a laptop neither is my room so equipped that tagged me a criminal. I went to recover my clothes I was also made to write an undertaking not to do crime or cyber crime as if I was even involved in the first place. Your rights don’t matter once in the police station. I returned to the station the next day with some of my lodge mates and this time around we did well to buy them some things from the outside. The hours I spent in cell one made me realize that freedom and fresh air are two wonders of the universe. I now appreciate walking freely because the odour from 50people in a room with no window is something you don’t want to smell. I am happy to be out , THIS IS MY STORY…