By Jude Michael
Maureen Madu, former Super Falcons Striker, has called on the Inspector General of Police to take over the case of human rights abuse against her and players in her football academy by officers from the Anti-Cult Unit, Zone 13, Ukpo in Anambra
Madu who made the appeal while speaking to newsmen in Awka last Tuesday, said she had lost confidence in the ability of the State Command and Zone 13 Ukpo to give her justice.
The four world cup and two Olympics football amazon, said both commands had failed to reprimand the officers who forced themselves into her academy on October 19, beat up her players and destroyed their phones.
She alleged that they later bundled her into their vehicle in handcuffs to sleep in the cell without investigating the petition nor making the man to substantiate his allegations against her
Narrating the story, Madu said one Mr Uchenna Onyekwunife registered his daughter for summer football coaching in June this year and abandoned her in the camp for four months without visiting or paying for her 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 him.
‘It was later they showed me a petition signed by one B.B.M. Maduekwe, dated October 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 the police that his child had 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 for the oppression of Nigerian masses, not least, 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 a dispassionate investigation of the matter by the IGP.
They condemned the treatment of Madu 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.
