CCTV footage has cleared Charles Opurum, a reporter for Channels TV, who was allegedly attacked by a gang of thugs who almost blamed him for the incident.

According to Charles Opurum, a reporter for Channels Television, he was brutally attacked by a gang of thugs inside a gas station in Rumuola, Port Harcourt, the state capital of Rivers, on Tuesday, March 25.

Charles claims that when he honked at a car obstructing the station’s entrance, the fight started. He claimed that after the elderly man, who was thought to be from the North, became enraged with him for honking, he approached him and slapped him, which he allegedly responded to with the same ferocity. He claimed that a group of men at the station surrounded and physically attacked him shortly after.

He further claimed that another person was hurt after allegedly clinging to his moving car while attempting to flee, and a police officer assigned to the station damaged the windshields of his car during the mayhem.

He claimed that he reported the incident right away to CSP John Ayah, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the Rumuepirikom Division, who sent out patrol teams to make arrests. He said the suspects tried to change the story while they were at the station by claiming he attacked them first. However, the elderly man allegedly started the assault on him, according to CCTV footage examined by authorities.

He stated that after the review, some of the suspects allegedly acknowledged their mistakes and made an offer to reimburse him for the damage to his car, which he accepted.

Opurum expressed gratitude for the DPO’s response but said he intends to take the issue to the Commissioner of Police, demanding that the officer who caused the damage to his car be held responsible.

 his words

‘’Yesterday I suffered a very vicious attack at the hands of ndi Aboki at Restopark fueling station Rumuola.

On trying to access the station to buy petrol for my car the entrance was blocked by a vehicle apparently negotiating with an elderly northerner. I kept honking for him to get out of the way so I could pass. It took them over 15 seconds before the vehicle moved. The northerner starts cussing me out for honking at them. Me too I replied him from within my car as I drove past him towards the pump. 

As I alighted from the vehicle, the man approached me aggressively and slapped me unprovoked. I immediately returned the slap with power that knocked him back. 

In a split second I was surrounded by Aboki people there. They were hitting me from all angles, but I managed to drive away from there. However a policeman attached to the fueling station astonishingly damaged my front and back windshields. One of them that was hanging on my vehicle and punching me fell off as I was driving away and my tire climbed his foot.

I immediately went to the police to report. The DPO of Rumuepirikom police station, CSP John Ayah sent 3 patrol vehicles to arrest the perpetrators. Can you imagine that all the Aboki people there came out like ants to resist the police?

Anyways the baba that caused the issue by sl@pping me was picked up along with a handful of others. On seeing me, the manager of the fueling station expressed his regrets at how I was treated and provided me with the CCTV footage of the incident. Now the story shifts to the DPO’s office.

These Aboki people twisted the story and said I attacked them first. He claimed that he was kneeling and begging me and that as I drove in I came down and started beating him. The other guy who was injured said he was on his own when I ran him over. The policeman from the fueling station claimed he thought I was one of those people who came to buy fuel and run away without paying and that’s why he smashed my windshields. The DPO told him he was very stupid for saying that.

Anyways, after they watched the CCTV footage the DPO said “baba na you first slap am! Camera don show say na you first slap am.” The secretary of the Rivers Arewa community saw the video and told them to keep quiet. He spoke in Hausa to them and they all kept quiet. As for the one who said I ran him over unprovoked, the footage showed him hanging from my vehicle as I drove away, it showed how he fell off. Joe and Ogochukwu said afterwards that they twisted the story that I came there and attacked a woman and the baba was trying to intervene and I slapped him. Na wa!!

Anyways, they started begging me for forgiveness, they paid for me to get a new set of windshields as well as fix the dents on my car.

While that’s okay, it’s not enough for me as I’m going to see the CP this morning to make sure that useless policeman is dealt with ruthlessly for damaging my windshields.

I thank the DPO for his proactive response and professionalism.”