Personnel of the Police Mobile Force, (MOPOL 55 Unit) Osisioma, on Tuesday evicted some occupants of Unity Garden Estate, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, Abia State, despite an interim court order.
Recall that many news outlets on Monday reported that Mopol 55 issued a four day quit notice to all occupants of the estate meant to expire on 9th March, with threat to forcefully eject them if they did not comply with the notice.
AbaCityBlog.com gathered from publications available that the personnel operating on orders of CSP Moses Aduroja (2/ic), went against an existing court order to beat and evict Mr. Sampson Nwogu and others.
Mr. Nwogu had on March 4, 2021 obtained an interim injunction restraining Aduroja, Ahmed Gombe (Provost of Mopol 55) and the state Police Commissioner from ejecting the residents.
The suit had Aduroja (2/ic Mopol 55), Gombe (Provost Mopol 55) and Abia State Police Commissioner, as defendants.
His Worship Chijioke Nwogu of the Magistrate’s Court of Abia State in Osisioma Ngwa Magisterial District holding in Abayi in Suit No. MOS/MISC/14/2021 ordered that the defendants be served by courier.
The court stopped Aduroja and the other defendants from evicting Nwogu and others from plot FMBN 167, Unity Garden Estate, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
The court also ordered that the restraining order be addressed to the office of the Provost Mopol 55 and fixed March 18th, 2021 as return date for report of service.
In total neglect to the court order, which Aduroja said he had received, personnel of the MOPOL 55 started the forceful ejection of the occupants in the early hours of Tuesday.
The Mopol 55 personnel began their eviction from the house of the plaintiff, Nwogu whom they tagged a troublemakers, got him beaten, flogged with bruises all over his body.
In the words of Nwogu, “They started from my apartment. I was praying and I heard noise. I came out, asking them what was happening, the next thing I saw was beating. They flogged me mercilessly before my children.
“Dragged me and threw me round, tore my clothes, took all my property away and sprayed teargas on my family, I reminded them that the matter is in court, but they began beating me more and more.”
When CSP Moses Aduroja at Mopol 55 base was contacted to get his view on the assault on Nwogu’s family, he told Daily Independent that he does not need any court order to eject anyone he suspected posses a danger to him.
Aduroja who claimed he is only interested in ejecting illegal occupants, which is contrary the quit notice served, also said he does not need any directive from anyone to determine who is to be ejected.
When contacted the Mr. Alozie Nwankwo, the General Manager, Abia State Housing and Property Development Corporation (ASHPDC) said that they were embarrassed by the reports.
He said the agency has not given anybody permission from the office to quit anybody and they are not aware of any eviction.
He also said they have not received any official complaint from any resident of that estate including the police.
Meanwhile, Abia State Police Command, through the PPRO, SP Geoffrey Ogbonna has said the command is not aware of any form of quit notice from Mopol 55 on the residents of the estate.
