Uche Nwosu, son-in-law of former Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha, has recounted his ordeal at the hands of police who detained him inside a church on Sunday in Imo state.
Armed officers invaded the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Eziama Obaire in the Nkwerre local government area of Imo state, he fired shots and disrupted the religious service before arresting Mr. Nwosu, a former candidate for governor in the state.
The leadership of the Anglican Church and other Nigerians have condemned the police invasion of the church.
According to reports, Mr. Nwosu, his wife and others were assaulted by officers during the arrest, which renewed bitterness between Mr. Okorocha, the senator representing the Imo West district, and Governor Hope Uzodinma.
The senator and his son-in-law accuse the governor of Imo state, Mr. Uzodinma, of being behind the controversial arrest. The state government has denied the accusation.
My Ordeal – Uche Nwosu
“They mistreated me and put me in one of the vehicles they entered. One of them ordered me to lie down and one of them put his leg on my head,” Mr. Nwosu said in a report from The Nation newspaper.
Nwosu, according to the newspaper, recounted his ordeal to reporters in Owerri on Tuesday after returning from police headquarters in Abuja, where he said police had transferred him on a chartered flight on Sunday.
Police said they arrested him based on a petition that he was “sponsoring insecurity” in Imo state, he said.
The former Action Alliance gubernatorial candidate said more than 15 hooded officers “jumped” into the church to arrest him.
“When they left, they started making calls in the Hausa language and, without their knowledge, I understand the Hausa language. They were telling a Shaba, who is the head of security, that they have me.
“At Umuaka, they stopped and ordered me to get off. At the time, I thought they were going to assassinate me. They put me in another vehicle and drove away.
“When we got to Owerri, three other vehicles went straight to Government House and the one that was taking me headed towards Okigwe Road and I started asking them where they were taking me, but they never answered me. They drove to Okigwe and stopped.
“At the time, I thought they wanted to assassinate me. They asked me to take off my clothes, they handcuffed me, took pictures of me, made a video and sent it to the CSO.
“We continued until we reached Enugu airport, where we boarded a charter plane to Abuja. We moved to the Force Headquarters and did an interview. They accused me of sponsoring insecurity in Imo state, ”said Nwosu.
He was released by the police after being questioned.
The Imo state government has continued to deny its involvement in the arrest.
State Information and Strategy Commissioner Declan Emelumba described Mr. Nwosu’s claims as “a malicious concoction from a drowning man.”
The police have not yet issued a statement regarding the arrest of Mr. Nwosu.