Residents demand arrest, prosecution of policeman, lawyer for beating up 70-year-old widow, others in Delta

Residents and landlords of Arhavwarien Avenue,off Egini drive,by Itaigho Filling Station, Steel Town, DSC have accused a police S.P Ayoola (D.C.O I) of Ovwian police division and a senior advocate, Ayo Asala of harassing and humiliating a 70-year-old widow, Mr Juwegha Francis, his wife and daughter without provocation on Saturday.

According to the landlords, after the police gave the 70-year-old widow heavy slap severally, under the instructions of Ayo Asala (SAN), she was placed on handcuff while another resident Mr Juwegha Francis was not spared of the agony as Ayo Asala personally assaulted him while the police officers beat up his wife and his daughter Jane Juwegha and destroyed her phone for attempting to video the event.

It was learned that the said legal practitioner Asala (SAN) took law into his hand when he was opposed by residents of the Arhavwarien Avenue,off Egini drive of attempt to stop Delta government approved drainage project in the area.

In a petition by the landlords of Arhavwarien Avenue,off Egini drive which copied the Executive Governor of Delta state, Commissioner of police, Commissioner for works,S.S.G Delta state, Chairman, Warri/Uvwie and Environs development agency (WUEDA) and Delta State Task Force on Environment, demanded for the prosecution of the said senior advocate and erring police officers of Ovwian police division.

The petition which was signed by the chairman, Akelie Joseph and secretary Juwegha Francis stated, “It is expedient to state that upon the award of the contract in February, 2023, the contractors immediately mobilized to site and commenced the construction of the drain to link the Avenue drain with the major drain along the Egini drive. That after the contractor has commenced excavation, the said Ayo Asala mobilized his boys to stop the Job, insisting the drain can not pass the front of his property where he resides. That in the peace loving nature of the residents, we
all agreed to the readjustment of the drain to the other side of the road against the recommended engineering procedures. Sadly, on the 29th April, 2023 while the contractors were on ground carrying out the project the said Ayo Asala stormed the
Avenue with fierce looking boys and ordered the contractor to stop the job and subjected several persons to serious incivility”.

The petition reads, “That in his desire to legalize the brutality and hostility being perpetuated, he invited the police officers of the Ovwian division led by the D.C.O I (S.P. Ayoola) who upon their arrival, they subjected members and residents of the avenue to severe brutality”.

“The said S.P Ayoola (D.C.O I) slapped a widow, resident in the area without provocation and placed her on handcuff while another resident Mr Juwegha Francis was not spared the agony as Ayo Asala personally assaulted him while the police officers beat up his wife and his daughter Jane Juwegha and destroyed her phone for attempting to video the event.

“They were all dragged to the Ovwian police station and upon their arrival, the D.COI ordered their beating and subjected them to indignity as the aged widow and all the persons being five (5) in numbers were dragged on the ground and he ordered the daughter to be taken to another office to be beating while calling her unprintable names like prostitute, that it took the intervention of a lawyer in the avenue to secure their release as Ayo Asala had threatened to jail them for five years. What is their offence, for merely insisting a government duly awarded contract deserves supports. We are aware the state government has set up a task force to ensure zero tolerance on cases of individual or group disruption of government project, we hereby demand for the government to
implement the zero tolerance against the said Ayo Asala and his cohorts for his act of willful disruption of the project as a demonstration of the no sacred cow principles of the state government in the area of disruption of government project”.

The Delta State police spokesman DSP Bright Edafe when contacted for comment said he is not aware but promised to investigate and get back to our correspondent.