TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The Nigerian nationals, who were arrested in the Porvorim NH 17 mob rampage case and lodged at Aguada Central Jail, have accused the Goa police of falsely implicating them.
In an elaborate statement recorded by a Goa State Human Rights Commission three-member panel, they have alleged harsh treatment of Nigerians in general by the authorities, Goa police and local goons (not identified in the statement copy).
Aname Innocent said the State police advised the Nigerians to take shelter in Mapusa police station after Obado Uzoma Simeon was found murdered at Parra on October 31. But subsequently they realized that police arrested them on charges of rioting.
“SP North (Priyanka Kashyap) and other police officers advised us (Nigerians) at Parra and other areas (living in other parts of the State) to come to Mapusa police station for our security so that the locals do not attack us further,” he said.
The statement, seconded by two other inmates ~Okoro Ndidi and Sunday Onye Lucky also mentioned that they were not at the national highway at Porvorim. “…We were arrested without being informed,” Innocent claimed.
Explaining the sequence of events on the fateful day, he said that some Nigerians followed the police hearse van which was carrying Simeon’s body to Goa Medical College for post-mortem, to click pictures since it was requested by Nigerian Embassy. “However, other Nigerians including myself went to the police station for security purpose as directed by North SP. For about one and half hour, we waited there and no officer from the police station talked to us about security they were going to provide us,” he stated.
“After one and half hour, one government officer came with police escort and big vans and he discussed with senior police officers…the police surrounded all Nigerians at the police station and put us in their big vans and took us to different police stations.”
The inmate said the police informed them about their arrests and judicial remand after they were produced before the Mapusa court. The two-page statement, which the trio say is a grievance on behalf of other imprisoned Nigerians as well, pleads for justice and security in India.
