- ‘Write Petition to Area Command,’ PPRO Tells Actor
- Creditor Says He’s Ready for Investigation
By Amos Aar
THE Commander of the Gboko Division of the Benue State Livestock Guards, Mr Stephen Shaahu, has alleged that he is being harassed by the Police in Gboko over an allegation by a Tiv movie actor that he was grievously tortured by Mr Shaahu and his men sometime last June.
Mr Shaahu had called National Record asking for the phone number of Mr Amos Tyough, the creditor who had reported the movie actor to the livestock commander. He pleaded that he wanted to contact Mr Tyough to inform him that the police had asked him (commander) to come with him to the Police B Division in Gboko over the matter.
National Record had reported how Mark Tersoo, the movie actor had following a tip off, told our correspondent a near death experience of torture in the hands of the Livestock Commander and his men in an effort to recover a debt he owed Mr Tyough.
‘Police are harassing me’
Mr Shaahu, had on July 19, 2022 called the Editor-in-Chief of National Record, Mr Iduh Onah, pleading that he avail him the contact number of the creditor so that he can call him to come down to Gboko so that he (Shaahu) could be let alone by the police.
“I’m in the police station right now but to get the phone number of the person who reported to the Livestock Guard is very difficult. The person whom they are accusing is not also ready to provide the details of the person, so I am confused! I want to get his phone number and the address because the police said I should help them look for the person and there’s nowhere to locate him. It’s like they are just suffering me, they don’t want me to do my business.
“If it’s possible for the case to be sent to court, let them do it and stop disturbing my life because I am not part and parcel of what they are saying, let’s go and battle in the court,” Shaahu said.
As at Tuesday, August 9, 2022, when National Record reached out to the Livestock Guards’ Commander, he said though he had contacted Mr Tyough who had said he was in Abuja and that they had not agreed on a date to go to the police station.
‘I’m ready to go to police anytime if invited’
When our correspondent contacted Mr Tyough and asked if he had spoken to the livestock commander over the alleged police harassment, he was evasive, neither accepting nor denying; but kept saying that he “was ready to go to the station anytime if invited.”
He said: “The police have my phone number, if they want to see me, they will call me. Tersoo Mark also knows my house, I’m not a hidden person in Gboko, my house is at Yandev in Gboko and many people know me there. I’m in Abuja now but will be coming to Gboko on Friday (that’s 12th August, 2022).”
Witnesses say police have never called them
Meanwhile, Mr Saaondo Luga and Aondongu Kohol, who said they witnessed Mark Tersoo being brutalised, told National Record that they have never been invited by the Police at B Division, Mkar in Gboko since 16th June, 2022 when the case was reported to the police.
On his part, Mr Iorlumun Iorkyaa, the man had volunteered to guarantee Mr Tersoo over the debt, said he has not yet cleared the debt. “Tersoo Mark is my friend and a member of Jemgbagh Youth Association where the matter was first reported before the complainant transferred it to Livestock Guard.
“They called me when I was on a trip and I assured them that I would pay the money when I returned to Gboko. But since the Livestock Guards have tortured him now and the case is in the hands of the police, we have to wait and see the outcome, if we are to pay, we will pay. But for now, my friend is not even feeling strong as a result of the molestation, he cannot hustle to pay back the money,” Mr Iorkyaa said.
When contacted to confirm if she was aware of the case and what would happen if the Gboko B Divisional of the Police continue to delay the investigation, the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP. Catherine Anene said: “Let him (Mark Tersoo) write a petition to Area Command Gboko.”
