A viral video showing police officers in Akwa Ibom State assaulting a pregnant woman over the enforcement of the third-party vehicle insurance policy has sparked widespread outrage across the state.
Reports indicate that the officers involved in the incident are suspected to be from the Itam Police Division. In the disturbing footage, the woman, allegedly an insurance defaulter, is seen being dragged by the officers until she collapses on the ground.
A Facebook user, Mayor Sylvester, condemned the act, expressing frustration over the police’s handling of the situation.
“This is what the Itam Police Station in Akwa Ibom State has turned the third-party insurance issue into. They are now acting like animals. These are the kind of irresponsible characters recruited into the force. Imagine how a pregnant woman is being rough-handled. I just hope her baby is still alive,” he wrote.
He further suggested a better approach to enforcing vehicle insurance policies, saying, “If the police want to ensure every vehicle has third-party insurance, why not assign representatives from insurance companies to police checkpoints? That way, defaulters can easily renew their insurance on the spot instead of facing such brutality.”
No Official Response from Police
Despite the video trending online for over 16 hours, the Akwa Ibom State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on the incident. Efforts to contact the Commissioner of Police, CP Bala Mohammed Azare, and the Command’s spokesperson, Tifon John, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
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Meanwhile, the excessive use of force by the officers attracted a crowd of sympathizers, with many in the background questioning why the police had to resort to such violence.
