A Policeman whose name was given as King Joe attached to the Federal Special Anti Robbery Squad(F-SARS) Ebonyi state command yesterday brutalized Sunday Agbo, a reporter with Orient Daily Newspaper.
Agbo was assaulted by the police officer for trying to take a picture of a vehicle involved in an accident along Ezza Road within the state capital.
According to Agbo, the policeman slapped him repeatedly and seized his phone just for taking a photo.
The victim added that despite the fact that he took time to disclose his identity as a journalist, he was still detained him for more than three hours.
Narrating his ordeal, Agbo said “This morning ,I left my house very early as 6am to re-fill my cooking gas only to run into an accident scene which probably occurred the previous night along Ezza Road. Because picture cannot be underestimated in any reportage even though I had earlier ignored it, I made a u-turn to take some shots.
“I tried to do a paparazzi but I could not get good shots. I took a more strategic position to take a better one, but suddenly in an unprofessional manner, a blood thirsty police officer whose name was given as King Joe attached to F-SARS, Ebonyi state police command swooped on me.
”He pounced on me, landed slaps on my face and threatened to shoot me. He also seized my phone.
“The police command should take proactive steps to prevent further attacks on journalists in Ebonyi state, because behaviours of the likes of Joe would smear its image.
“I spent over three hours with him because he insisted he had reported the matter to their boss, and that I should go there and make statement for my “crime”.
“Commissioner of Police, CP, Titus Lamorde Sumba, should rise to the occasion of ensuring that men like King Joe are shown the way out of the force”.
In October, Wale Odunsi, deputy editor of DAILY POST, missed death by the whiskers when a mobile police personnel attached to the Government House in Kogi threatened to shoot him.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the crashed vehicle allegedly belongs to one Paul Agi, an accountant in the national assembly.
The vehicle, a Toyota Corolla with registration number NASS FL 326 MGT rammed into the pavement along Ezza Road in Abakaliki city.
The vehicle pulled down one of the street lights mounted on the pavement, while the bumper was badly damaged.
The driver of the vehicle, a younger brother to Paul, is said to be receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
As at the time of filing this report, F-SARS Abakaliki was yet to comment on the matter even when they have been contacted.
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