University student suffers ruptured intestine after being beaten up by policemen.

John Ekefre, 22, a 200-level university student, has been admitted into the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital after policemen from the Iponri division tortured him and damaged his intestine. He has been operated on to rectify the internal injury and to remove the blood clots that blocked his chest.

His elder sister, Mercy, said the family have so far spent over N200k on his treatment. The incident occurred on December 4 when John, an appendicitis patient who works in a cinema house, and 4 other friends were going for a program tagged, The Experience, after they had closed from work around 11pm.
When John, Anthony Kenkwo, Michael Peter, Godwin Ekeji and Joy Imoh got to Costain, the bus that they boarded ran into a gridlock and they decided to alight. They’re walking by the roadside when they were arrested by the policemen, who accused them of robbery.
John said he and his friends showed the cops their identity cards, but were rebuffed. He said, “They searched our bags, but nothing incriminating was found there. They forced us into their bus. On our way to the station, I asked them what our offense was and they said we were highway robbers.
When we got to the station, they dragged me down, beat me up and one of them hit me in the stomach with the butt of his gun. They said I was too inquisitive. The following day, they collected N6,000 from my brother before I was released.”
Kenkwo said a policeman pummelled him when he complained that their arrest was not justified. He said he eventually paid N5,500 before he was release. Godwin paid N5,000, Peter paid N8,000, but Joy, the only female among them, was released free.
A lawyer and President, Citizens Rights Defenders, Chief Gabriel Ojumah, said he had, in a petition dated December 14, urged the IG of Police, Solomon Arase, Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Human Rights Commission to investigate the matter and bring the erring policemen to book.