Pastor Okochi Obeni of God’s Descendants Assembly, Amasiri, Afikpo North Local Government Area, Ebonyi State, was recently tortured, brutalised and forced by his tormentors to drink water from the gutter, for allegedly criticising the council chairman, Ogbonnaya Oko Enyim. The cleric, who is currently hospitalised at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, shares his experience with EDWARD NNACHI, Punch tweet.
He narrate how you were tortured on Thursday, May 14, 2020,
"I was expecting to be treated badly by these people, but I did not envisage it would take that form. That day, I was called by one Amadi Julius Nyerere, who is a nominee of the chairman and a Technical Assistant to Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi. He called and said the Essa age grade chairman wanted to see me. I thought the plan was to reconcile me with the council chairman, so I went there.
On reaching there, I discovered that all the aides of the council chairman, Isi Oru age grade members, and Essa age grade chairman (who is related to the council boss), and his executives, were all there. It dawned on me that there was a plan already on the ground that was being followed using all means available since their plan to use policemen in Ebonyi State Security Neighbourhood Watch had failed.
So, they resorted to attacks. I never experienced the kind of ugly treatment they gave me. They tied my hands behind my back and up till this very moment, I can’t make use of my hands. I can’t hold any object; you can see how I’m struggling to hold my phones. They forced me to drink gutter water and did all sorts of things to me. They put my body through all manner of inhuman treatments, aside from flogging me 36 times.
I want people to know that public service should not be a do-or-die affair. If you know are not competent to be in a position of authority and can’t tolerate criticisms, please stay off and let people who understand what governance entails take up positions of authority. Also, allow the media to do their work.
However, after the treatment, I discovered I could not make use of my hands. I also realised I could not make use of my buttocks because I hardly sit properly and easily now. Just as I was rejoicing that I was going home to meet my family, a doctor examined me and discovered that most of my veins and nerves had been damaged because of the long hours that my hands were tied and I was beaten.
He said the health challenges could become permanent if I didn’t treat them quickly. He said it could lead to paralysis.
