Businesswoman hospitalised after alleged assault by council taskforce in Rivers

A businesswoman in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State is receiving medical treatment after she was allegedly assaulted by members of a taskforce operating under the local government council.

Her husband, Ekweme Egwu, accused the Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area of deploying officials who attacked his wife, Ogechi Ekweme, during an enforcement operation on July 2.

Egwu, a wholesale drinks dealer, said his wife, who trades in thrift wear and household items, was confronted by members of a council taskforce over allegations that she had displayed some of her goods along the roadside in contravention of a directive banning roadside trading.

Recounting the incident, Egwu said he was attending to customers at his shop, located almost opposite his wife’s business premises, when a resident rushed to alert him that taskforce operatives were assaulting her.

“The local government task force is killing your wife. They are beating her,” Egwu quoted the man as saying.

When he got to the scene, Egwu alleged that he found a member of the taskforce confiscating his wife’s mobile phone.

He said he demanded that it be returned, arguing that public officials carrying out lawful duties should not object to being filmed.

Rather than return the phone, he alleged that the officials descended on him and his wife.

Egwu identified the leaders of the taskforce as its chairman, Darlington Belema Nwankwo, and secretary, Kennedy Okirie, alleging that they led the operation.

“They all attacked me and my wife, using knives and axes to wound her,” he alleged.

He further claimed that taskforce members were armed with knives, axes and firearms.

“These people were carrying knives, axes and guns. Everybody in the town knows the weapons they use,” he said.

According to Egwu, his wife sustained deep cuts to one of her legs during the attack.

She was initially taken to a private hospital, which referred her to a government facility because of the severity of her injuries.

A video obtained by DAILY POST showed the wound inflicted on the woman. 

The couple subsequently reported the incident at the Divisional Police Headquarters, Oyigbo, where, according to Egwu, they were informed that a complaint had already been lodged against them.

He said the Divisional Crime Officer, after observing the extent of his wife’s injuries, issued them with a police medical report to facilitate her treatment.

Egwu said his wife was eventually admitted to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, where she is currently receiving treatment.

“She was discharged yesterday, but she has to return every day because there are no bed spaces,” he said.

Beyond the alleged assault, Egwu also accused the local government of sealing his shop, an action he said has denied him access to his business and his family’s only source of income.

He is calling for justice and demanding that those responsible for the alleged attack be held accountable.

Reacting to the allegations, the Chairman of Oyigbo Local Government Area, Akara Okechukwu, confirmed that council officials were at the Egwus’ business premises on the day of the incident.

Okechukwu said roadside trading has remained a major challenge in the local government and that his administration had expanded the market to accommodate traders and encourage them to relocate from the roadsides.

According to him, many traders initially complied with the directive and moved into the newly created market spaces.

However, he alleged that after he returned for a second term in office, some of them, including the woman at the centre of the controversy, resumed trading along the roadside.

Addressing the allegation that the council sealed the couple’s shops, Okechukwu denied ordering such action, insisting that he neither authorised nor directed that the premises be sealed.

Meanwhile, a video in circulation also showed that the shop was sealed by the taskforce. 

Businesswoman hospitalised after alleged assault by council taskforce in Rivers