BY RITA OYIBOKA
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has summoned the Divisional Police Officer of GRA Asaba, CSP Christopher Odoh, to the Police Force Headquarters in Abuja following allegations of extortion and intimidation involving a man who attempted to save a dying stranger.
The summons was announced on the official X page of the Complaint Response Unit (CRU) of @PoliceNG, which stated: “The Divisional Police Officer, GRA Asaba, has been summoned and will be in Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, for questioning concerning this complaint by next week. Thank you for contacting NPF-CRU.”
The incident, recounted in a Facebook post by Tomi Wojuola, occurred when he attempted to save a young man who had collapsed on a public road.
“Sometime this year, I made the grievous mistake of rushing a dying young man who had collapsed on the road to the hospital at the instance of a doctor whom I had earlier called for advice, even when everybody chose to walk past,” Wojuola wrote.
Tragically, the young man died upon reaching the hospital. Following protocol, Wojuola informed the police at the GRA Police Station in Asaba, as he did not know the victim personally. What followed, however, shocked him.
“To tell you how wicked some officers of the Nigerian Police Force could be, I was instead accused of murder, with my statement taken under caution,” he said.
According to Wojuola, CSP Odoh told him, “I must deal with you for acting like ‘Jesus’. When I am through with you, if you see anybody dying again, you would walk past.”
The officer’s remarks reportedly came despite confirmation from the deceased’s family that the young man had an underlying medical condition.
Wojuola credited a top government official for intervening on his behalf, preventing him from being charged with murder. “It took the grace of God through a very, very top government functionary for me to have escaped the murder charge that I was tagged with,” he wrote.
Despite the intervention, he claimed that CSP Odoh still “emptied my account as bail money,” leaving him with only two thousand Naira upon release.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Wojuola urged citizens to appreciate their freedom and safety. “Many people are still in prison for cases less serious than mine. My people, join me to thank God,” he said.
The summoning of the DPO to Abuja is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the handling of the case.
