Politics
Fallout of Covid-19 Lockdown: Police detain UNIPORT Senior Lecturer and Pharmacist, extort N20,000 for offering medical services on lockdown in Port Harcourt
…CP Joseph Gobum Mukan steps up investigations, appeals for calm and vows to deal with Policemen found culpable
Pharmacist, a Senior Lecturer, at University of Port Harcourt, Dr Lucky Legbosi Nwidu and Director of Luckpharm Pharmacy at residing No 93 Owoloma road Rumuigbo in Obio-Akpor local government area was dehumanized and detained by the Police for rendering medical services to the sick in Port Harcourt.
CP Joseph Gobum Mukan Commissioner of Police, Rivers State.
According to the account personally posted in Social Media and also made available to Journalists in Port Harcourt, he said he was in my house on the 8th of May 2020 preparing to deliver an online lecture when I had an uproar from the Pharmacy adjacent his house when he heard a call from the Nurses alerting him about the invasion of his Pharmacy shop.
Initially, he thought that the Invaders may be armed robbers” When got to the Pharmacy I saw two armed police men, a lady in mofty a police woman Mrs. Bukky, draging the Nurse to enter inside the Police van parked in front of the Pharmacy from Ozuoba Police Station.
Explaining further, he requested from the Police Inspector by name Mrs Bulky, “Inspector Police lady said the Governor authorizer a total lockdown and why should we open the Pharmacy.
“I introduce myself and let them know that Pharmacist and other health care staff are permitted to run essential duties. They said no, the Governor authorized a total lockdown. I pleaded that they cannot take away my staff instead they should arrest me because I permitted them to open the Pharmacy to provide essential services in line with the permit from Ministry of Health.
All his pleas and explanations fell on deaf ears and was arrested and taken away in the Ozuoba Police van. And a few metres away from the Pharmacy the Police accosted a young girl and a boy who said they were coming to the Pharmacy to buy drugs because of acute diarrhea and they were arrested.
“We were taken to the police station at Ozuoba. I insisted to see the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, CSP Ogowoke, Inspector Bukky said she had informed the DPO and he has authorized my detention that I am sabotaging the lockdown.
I became confused as I was undressed put inside the cell whose dimensions are 12ft by 12ft.
Narrating further, “After 1 hour the DPO came to count the number in the cells we were 19 inmates. I pleaded to go in the cell with my face -mask the Police denied me. Every 10 to 20 minutes the Police kept bringing in their culprits. By 1pm I pleaded to make call to my family to arrange for my bail. At this time we were 39 inmates.”
Dr Lucky Legbosi Nwidu said he later had an altercation with Inspector Bukky, the IPO who attested and detained him when noticed she was wearing “so many OPM(Omega Power Ministry) bangles on her hand and being was wicked to arrest someone going to fill a prescription for diarrhoea.
” I told her I am a minister in OPM and I teach in the Sunday School Department and what she is doing is contrary to what the church whose bangles are loaded on her hand preach.
She got infuriated that I am a fake Pastor of OPM and she will deal with me.
The Senior Lecturer at UNIPORT said that true to her threat, “After she has dealt with me till 1pm and I was inside the cell helpless. I called her and pleaded with her to allow me make a call for someone to come and bail me. She brought me out of the cell gave me my phone I called my family to meet my Barrister to come and bail me. When my Lawyer came, introduce himself, Inspector Bukky was so infuriated at me why do I have to call my Lawyer and not my wife.
“My Lawyer brought the permit from Ministry of Health authorising healthcare personnel to run essential services. He was rebuffed by the DPO and the IPO Bukky, he was told to bring N100,000.00 (Hundred thousand Naira)if not the Police will send me to quarantine centre.
“From about 2pm my Lawyer came after much pleading the IPO collected N20,000 and released me from detention.
Over 20 years ago I swore to the Pharmacy oath to be a faithful Pharmacist who will provide pharmaceutical services to my community, the major reason for which the Police, because of greed arrested me from home for over seven and half hours without food and water. Nigerians is this fair to me and my profession, Pharmacy?”
Dr Nwidu called for justice to be meted out to the Inspector Bulky and her Colleagues who carried out the illegal detention and the police have to return the money paid to them by his Lawyer and tender apologies to Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria and Nigerian Bar Association, NBA for this ill-treatment.
The distraught UNIPORT Lecturer requested that the incident be made viral until the Inspector General of Police is reached.
Prominent concerned members of Public who shared the story include
Mrs Ibim Semenitari, a Veteran Journalist and former Acting MD,NDDC and former Commissioner for Information and Communication, Rivers State.
However in a swift reaction by the Rivers Police Command, through its Spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni,said the attention of the Command had been drawn to a Statement credited to Dr Lucky Nwidu, the Director of Luckpharm Pharmacy on the alleged inhuman treatment meted to him by Men of the Ozuoba Police Station which went viral.
The Command said it is aware of the Complaint as posted on Social Media by the said Pharmacist and
that the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph G Mukan psc (+) on the receipt of the Complaint invited the DPO and his Personnel and had equally contacted the Complainant to hear from them, first hand.
He assured that after hearing from the Parties, he ordered a full scale Investigation into the matter with a view to ascertaining the cause of the infractions and bringing anybody found complicit to book.
According to Omoni, the CP appealed to the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, PSN and indeed any other Professional Bodies to be calm, as he is poised to dealing with the matter on its merit, no matter whose ox is gored.
“He further wishes to state unequivocally and for the umpteenth time that he has lectured his men on the categories of persons and/ or authorities exempted from the EMERGENCY and on the need to be cautious and polite in the discharge of their responsibilities.
CP Mukan enjoined the public to remain calm and allow the law take its full course, while assuring them that the Command under his watch will not condone any act of lawlessness and unprofessionalism by his Men and promised to remain firm and focused in the discharge of his duties in the State.
