Mrs Augustina Amadin had always been proud of her husband’s service to the Nigeria Police Force. She demonstrated this by standing by him through thick and thin and also by taking care of the home front while he was being transferred from one state to another.
As she sat in their small apartment at White Sand, in Isheri Oshun area of Lagos, gazing at the man she once knew, when Saturday Vanguard visited, she could not help but feel a deep sense of disappointment and betrayal as he looked a shadow of the man he used to be.
Her husband, Amadin Monday, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), was allegedly shot by his junior colleague, an Inspector, on September 26, 2021, while they were returning to base at Ezi-Nze division of the Enugu State Police Command.
The bed, once a place of rest and rejuvenation, has become a prison, confining Monday to a single position for two years and nine months. The iron rods and cast encasing his left thigh seem to symbolize the physical and emotional shackles that bind him.
His uniform, which was once a symbol of authority and pride, now hangs limp and forgotten inside a wardrobe, a reminder of the life he once knew.
Children withdraw from universities
The family’s situation has been complicated by the fact that their children have had to withdraw from higher institutions due to financial constraints. According to Mrs Amadin, the eldest son, aged 22 (name withheld), who gained admission to study Linguistics two years ago in one of the tertiary institutions, had to defer it. The second son, who was studying Electrical/Electronics Engineering at the Nasarawa State Polytechnic, was forced to withdraw. Also, the third son, who scored 251 in last year’s Joint Admission and Matriculation Board Examination could not pursue his admission due to lack of funds.
She said, “My fourth child is in Senior Secondary School 3. She had to go and write the exam in a village in Delta State because we could not afford the school fees and WAEC fees in Lagos. My last child is just in secondary school. All my sons took on menial jobs to support the family.”
Abandoned
The family’s situation has been further exacerbated by the lack of support from the Police authorities. Despite numerous appeals, Mrs Amadin said her family had received no financial assistance, leaving them feeling frustrated and disillusioned. The policeman’s wife, who is now the sole caregiver, is struggling to cope with the trauma of the incident and the added responsibility of caring for her husband and children.
She lamented that the impact of the incident has also taken a toll on her husband’s mental health, as he struggles to come to terms with his new reality and feels guilty for being a burden to his family. Though she said she was trying her best to care for him, she lamented that the lack of support and resources was taking a toll on her own mental health.
She expressed disappointment that despite two petitions written to Police authorities at different times for the erring policeman to be investigated and disciplinary measures meted out to him to serve as a deterrent to others, no action had been taken to that effect. Instead, she said the Police Inspector that shot her husband was carrying on with his Police duties as if nothing happened.
Untreated petitions
The petitions, sighted by Saturday Vanguard, were dated August 10, 2023, and April 2, 2024, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Police Command, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Force Provost Marshal, Force Headquarters, Abuja, respectively.
The petition read, “I hereby petition against (the colleague) serving in Ezi-Nze Divisional Headquarters in Enugu State Command, Enugu State, for attempted murder, gross misconduct, discreditable conduct, malicious falsehood, blackmail, malicious grievous harm from gunshot.
“He shot me on September 26, 2021. I was posted as an Inspector to patrol team A. He was not happy when I joined the patrol team to head them, and he became embittered to the extent that he picked up a quarrel with me and vowed to deal with me.
“On September 26, 2021, while returning to base at Ezi-Nze Division, he pleaded with us to follow him to see one of his brothers who visited the village from Warri. In his relative’s apartment, I sat on a plastic chair opposite him. I overheard him telling a mobile policeman guarding the house that he could not go to work without cocking his rifle. Immediately I turned to his direction, I saw him holding his rifle firmly on his lap, pointing the muzzle at me. The next moment, I found myself on the ground, with blood all over my body.
“Three bullets hit me, one at my fourth left finger, the second one entered through the knee, shattering the femur bone completely, while the third bullet hit my stomach, destroying my vital organs. It was a miracle I survived his onslaught. I was rushed to Our Saviour Medical Centre at 9th Mile, Enugu, where I was operated upon by Dr. Ugwu Emmanuel. I left Enugu on November 18, 2021, to Agbor, Delta State, to seek further treatment from a traditional medical bone setter.
“Thereafter, I went to Central Hospital, Agbor, for a check-up and was advised to go to an Orthopedic Hospital for proper management. I went to Subol Medical Centre, Ikotun, Lagos in February 2022, from where I was referred to Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, where I was assigned to the Trauma Department and admitted for surgery which was done on June 20, 2022.
“Since the incident, Inspector Christopher has not called me or contributed a dime for my treatment. I have sold my family house, three farmlands, palm tree plantations, and other property and also collected loans from banks for my treatment. I am now living at the mercy of good Samaritans, neighbors, friends, and relatives to sustain myself and family”, the petition read.
Glimmer of hope
Mrs Amadin said her husband was booked for another round of surgery on March 27, 2023 to correct the damage done to his leg. But the family according to her was unable to raise N1,500,000 for the surgery, as the incident left his left leg shortened, causing him immense pain and discomfort.
A beacon of hope however emerged for the policeman after 13 months of the search for money for the surgery, as Complete New Basic Life Skills Advancement, CNBA a Non-Governmental Organisation, volunteered to cover the full cost of the procedure, just a few days after its attention was drawn to ASP Monday’s predicament. Consequently, the corrective surgery was carried out on ASP Monday on April 13, 2024.
Call on IGP, Chairman PSC
But Mrs Amadin who was full of appreciation to the NGO, further expressed displeasure over the silence of Police authorities, saying her husband would have died of pains, had the NGO not shown up.
She therefore, appealed to the Police High Command to show concern for one of its officers.
She said, “I am overwhelmed with frustration and pain as I watch my husband struggle daily with his injuries. Despite his dedication and service to the force, he was brutally shot by someone meant to watch his back.
“My frustration is compounded by the lack of support from the police authorities, who seem to have abandoned us in our time of need. I am angry that the authorities have not taken responsibility for their officer’s actions and have not provided the necessary support to help my husband recover.
“His sleepless nights, the constant pain, and the struggles to perform everyday tasks make me feel I have lost the man I once knew. We have spent over N10 million so far. I am therefore desperate for someone to listen and to help us.
“I am personally using this medium to draw the attention of the Inspector-General of Police and the Chairman, Police Service Commission, to my husband’s plight so that the policeman that intended to kill my husband will be brought to book as well as those trying to cover up this matter.”
Vanguard