Hosea Yakubu, a policeman severely beaten by soldiers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has died.
A brother to the deceased said that the policeman died at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital after a soldier smashed a heavy plank on his head.
The incident occurred last Sunday at the Eleme Petrochemical gate.
He explained that Yakubu was part of a three-man police patrol team.
He said that the team drove against traffic to beat gridlock around Eleme while returning from normal patrol duties but was challenged by a man in mufti as the van approached the company’s gate.
The man, who later turned out to be a soldier, was said to have demanded to know why the police van drove against traffic.
As he remonstrated with the police team, the soldier allegedly slapped the police driver.
Three of the soldier’s colleagues then joined in the fracas as Yakubu alighted from the van to condemn the soldier’s action.
He added that the disagreement turned into a fight during which one of the soldiers took a heavy plank and smashed it on Yakubu’s head.
“He fell down and couldn’t move. He was subsequently rushed to the nearest hospital from where he was referred to UPTH and admitted at the ICU.
“After 24 hours on admission, he gave up. Up until today, neither the police nor the military have said anything or taken action to bring the culprits to book,” Sahara Reporters quoted Yakubu’s brother to have said.
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