A student of Enugu State University of Technology, Miss Jovita
Nwakaego Ezeala, narrowly escaped death, arising from a gunshot wound
she sustained from a trigger-happy policeman along Owerri-Aba Federal
Highway, on October 31.
Narrating her experience to newsmen in Owerri, Miss Ezeala said she
was travelling with her siblings from their Amucha, Njaba Local
Government Area country home in Imo State to Aba, Abia State, on the
environmental sanitation day, when the incident occurred.
She said:
“We were shot at by the policemen on duty at a checkpoint within the jurisdiction of Ngor Okpala Police Division.
“I immediately noticed that a bullet fired by the policemen hit my leg.”
Ezeala said as soon as she noticed blood gushing out of her leg, she ordered the driver to turn back to the police checkpoint.
According to her, “on arrival, the policemen using patrol van No. 9,
initially denied firing at us. However, one of them, who have 442697 as
his personal identification number, later admitted firing the shot.
“They later took me to a nearby hospital and paid N1,500 for my treatment.”
Continuing, Miss Ezeala said that although the policemen quickly
informed the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in charge of the area about
the incident, she insisted that her father must be told.
“My parents ran an x-ray at Umezuruike Hospital, Owerri. It showed a bullet lodged in my leg.
“The DPO called me on the phone last Tuesday and asked after my
health, but he did not say if they would underwrite my hospital bills.”
Speaking also, the girl’s father, Ichie Emma Ezeala, who noted that
nobody had the right to shoot his innocent daughter, also called on the
Inspector General of Police to step into the matter.
“I cannot fold my arms helplessly and watch the police kill my innocent daughter in the way they tried to do,” he said.