By Mark Ogagan
Nigeria ex-international and former Olympian, Maureen Madu has made a passionate plea to the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to intervene in the case of Human Rights abuse against her and her football academy players by officers from Anti-Cult Unit, Zone 13 headquarters, Ukpo in Anambra state.
Mmadu made the appeal while speaking to newsmen in Awka on Tuesday, stressing that she had lost confidence in the ability of the Anambra State Command and Zone 13 Ukpo to give her justice.
The veteran World Cup and Olympics star, who was conferred with the prestigious ‘Mother of the Nation’ merit award by Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu six months ago, lamented that both commands have failed to reprimand the officers who forced themselves into her academy on October 19, beat up her players and seized their phones.
They later bundled her into their vehicle in handcuffs to sleep in the police custody without investigating the petition.
Narrating the story, Mmadu alleged that one Mr. Uchenna Onyekwunife registered his daughter for summer football coaching in June, 2024 and abandoned her in the camp for four months without visiting or paying upkeep only to send an unknown cab man to come pick her up.
She said she refused to release the girl to the cab man because she said she did not know her.
“It was later they showed me a petition signed by one B.B.M. Maduekwe Esq dated Oct. 7, 2024 entitled a case of “Armed Gangsterism, Cultism, Attempt Murder, Child Trafficking And Threat To Life” against Maureen Madu.
“How can a man who registered his daughter in my football academy on his own, gave me custody of the child and sent money for underwear and sanitary pads tell Police that his child has been kidnapped?
“The Police, without carrying out any investigation or asking for my response, just invaded my academy led by the man who is owing, to beat up everybody on site, seized and smashed their phones and arrested me in handcuffs.
“I am demanding that Ayuba Ahmadu, the Officer in Charge of Anti Cult Unit Ukpo annex and the SP Sunday Aleke, be investigated for such abuse of power and unprofessional handling of a case.
“The sad thing is that the man goes about boasting that nothing will happen because he has the AIG Zone 13 in his pocket.
“I am calling on IGP Kayode Egbetokun to handle this matter, the Police should not be an institution to be used for the oppression of Nigerian masses, not me who served this country with all my youthfulness and is currently supporting youth players,” she said.
Meanwhile, Nigerians including the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) have joined the call for the dispassionate investigation of the matter by IGP.
They condemned the treatment of Mmadu as a common criminal in trumped up charges while demanding that the boastful culprit be made to face the full wrath of the law for misleading the Police.
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