Alleged Battery: Victim sues Delta CP, owner of Kayriott Hotel for N100million

A top executive of a Port-Harcourt based company, Solace Afrik, Mr. Ndubuisi Akalezie has “instituted legal suit against the Delta State Commissioner of Police, his two police assailants as well as the Proprietor/Owner of Kayriott Hotel” in Effurun, Delta State, Hon. Efe Afe for one hundred million naira (N 100, 000,000.00).

According to the originating processes filed at the High Court of Delta State sitting at Effurun near Warri by a firm of B.E. Ehiwele and Co, Mr. Ndubuisi Akalezie is praying the court to compel the three respondents to pay the sum as compensation following “general damages suffered by him as a result of the grave assaults and battery on him by the policemen and the proprietor of the Hotel on the 30^th day of January 2014”.

Mr. Akalezie who spoke to Fresh Angle in an exclusive interview in Warri Tuesday, March 4 explained that on the fateful day, after waiting endlessly for his balance and receipt following the purchase and consumption of food as well as drinks by him in-company of his Naval Officer-brother and female lawyer, he approached the waitress who he said earlier received the sum of nine thousand naira (N 9,000.00) from him, but was embarrassed when the waitress “ rudely denied receiving any sum whatsoever from him”.

According to the victim, shocked by the response of the waitress, he “sought the intervention of the supervising manager” of Kayriott hotel to quietly investigate the matter and spare him the needless embarrassment”.

He further told Fresh Anglethat while waiting for the outcome of the hotel manager’s intervention, “the said waitress had surreptitiously gone to seek the collaboration, support and connivance of the police officers on duty at the hotel who upon arrival, without bothering to hear his side of the story, summarily and brutally descended on him with butts of their guns and other objects while severally threatening to shoot and kill me unless I settle the bill without further delay”.

Mr. Akalezie also alleged that even when his Naval Officer-brother who had earlier gone to wait for him in the car came and tried to calm the situation, the assault became even fiercer on him and his brother by the police officers and the proprietor of Kayriott who allegedly pulled out a pistol and purportedly shot into the air, tagging his Naval Officer brother an accomplice in the criminal act”.

Another eye witness who does not want his name in print alleged that the decision of Hon. Efe Afe, a former member of Delta State House of Assembly and current Chairman of Delta State Tourism Board to shoot into the air triggered four policemen attached to the hotel to follow suit.

The witness also claimed that the incident which happened at about 2:30pm on the fateful day was occasioned by a delay from the hotel waitress to issue receipt for food and drinks consumed totaling N 8, 500.00 after N 9,000.00 was allegedly paid to her by Mr. Ndubuisi Akalezie.

He further alleged that the waitress initially claimed that she was paid N 6, 000.00 by Mr. Akalezie before denying knowledge of any payment.

The witness also averred that the injured policeman whose photograph was widely published in some national dailies on the allegation that he was attacked by Naval Officers who invaded the hotel as a result of the molestation of their colleague actually hurt himself while he was trying to escape following a distress call put through to Men of the Joint Task Force, JTF who were on routine patrol.

According to him, it was when the JTF tried to force their way through to the hotel whose gate was locked while the attack of Ndubuisi Akalezie, his Naval Officer brother was going on, that the policeman who sustained injuries hurt himself while trying to escape through the hotel fence.

Fresh Angle can also report that even though no date has been fixed for hearing of the suit, the claimant is also claiming special damages in the sum of N 559,000.00 being the worth of his personal item/ money damaged or allegedly stolen in the course of the assault and battery as well as cost of the action.

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