A pastor of the Celestial Church of Christ, Johnson Dominic, who was allegedly tortured by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr Emmanuel Eze, in Onosa community in the Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos State has been hospitalized.
The assistant police officer, Eze is the ACP, Medicals, in Bayelsa State Police Command.
According to Punch, Pastor Dominic, who is the head of the CCC, New Jerusalem Parish, Onosa Avenue, was allegedly brutalised around 5pm on Tuesday by the ACP and his aides, who came to the area in a jeep.
Narrating the incident, Dominic, a father of three children, claimed that he was assaulted on the premises of his church because he refused to pay up some money, which he owed the ACP, who had some plots of land in the area.
Dominic revealed that he had bought one of the plots of land for N1.2m, but the police officer allegedly demanded more payment. Dominic was left with injuries in the chest and head, and was rushed to a private hospital in the Jakande, Lekki Phase 1 area, where he had been admitted.
It was gathered that the 44-year-old pastor was attacked by the ACP’s three aides who dragged him on the floor and slapped him several times, accusing him of being rude to the police boss.
He said, “It was around 5pm that the ACP and his men came to my church. I was attending to some people, who came for prayers.
“He came to inspect his land. We had known each other for some years. The ACP bought 16 plots of land beside my church and he had always asked me to monitor them for him. I asked him to remove his shoes because he was on the church premises. He got angry and he slapped me. His aides dragged me on the floor. The beat me until I became unconscious. That was how I found myself in this hospital.”
Narrating his side of the story, ACP Eze said he didn’t touch the pastor. He said the pastor slumped because he had been fasting for two days and eating only fruits.
He said, “I am a medical doctor. I do not carry arms and I do not violate people’s rights. Honestly speaking, Johnson (Dominic) is my good friend. He has been helping me to look after some plots of land I have in the area.
“My problem with him started when he supplied me some concrete blocks and someone later told me that he had been shortchanging me.
“Instead of 1,500 concrete blocks that I ordered for, he brought 1,200 blocks. When I came in yesterday (Tuesday), I told him that my wife was coming to farm on the plots of land.
“He did not like that idea. I also asked for 100 rods I kept with him. He said they remained 91 rods. So, an argument started.
“I did not come with any aide. I had three pastors and my driver in the jeep. I do not like civilians to be molested. When I came in with the pastors, he asked us to remove our shoes. So I stood outside.
“While we were arguing about the rods, nobody pushed anybody. We were just arguing. He just slumped and became unconscious. It was a fierce argument. I was told he had been fasting for two days. He had earlier threatened that he was going to kill me. I was the one who rushed him to a hospital and paid for his bills. It is not true that I beat him up. I am a responsible police officer.”
