Some members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in Ekiti State are mobilising others to protest on Thursday (today) against the brutalisation of one of them, Mr. Anthony Onuagbara, by policemen attached to the Special Anti-robbery Squad in Ado-Ekiti.
The protest is expected to take place during the passing out parade of a batch of the NYSC members.
Onuagbara, a 21- year-old graduate of Marketing from the Anambra State University was assaulted at his residence on August 12 by policemen and he lost one of his eyes in the process.
A large number of the corps members visited The PUNCH office in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday, lamenting the condition of Onuagbara, who they said could no longer see with the eye as a result of the beating.
The corps members said they were shocked that the NYSC had not shown concern about the welfare of the victim.
One of them said, “We are mobilising our colleagues to stage a protest tomorrow (Thursday) at the passing out parade since we observed that the police and the NYSC are trying to cover up this case.
“How can a corps member who came to serve his father land with every part of his body complete go back without an eye and they expect us not to say anything.”
The corps members said they feared that nothing would be done about the case again since Onuagbara would pass out today (Thursday).
They, however, said that that was the reason for mobilising other corps members for the protest to draw attention of the public to the inhuman treatment meted out to one of them.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, however, insisted that there was no cover-up by the police in the matter, adding that it was still being investigated.
The PPRO assured that the case would not be swept under the carpet.
He said, “Whoever is responsible for the brutality of that young man would be brought to justice.”
The State Coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Tunde Baba-Ahmed, could not be reached for comment when his phone was called.
But another man who picked the call said that Baba-Ahmed was holding a meeting and could not pick the call.
He stated that the director-general of the NYSC had written to the Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State on the matter. He said that the state coordinator would call back but he was yet to do so as the time of filing this report.
Onuagbara was on August 12 beaten by policemen attached to SARS. They had mistaken him for one Michael, who patronised a call girl and allegedly refused to pay the agreed fee. The call girl subsequently reported the case to a policeman, who moblised the SARS team.
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