Herbie Hide brutalised by police in Abuja

Hide who was born Okechukwu Maduagwu, and comes from Owerri in Imo state, had moved to England in his early teens, and has had flourishing career as a boxer in England having won 35 out of his 39 professional fights in the heavy weight division (34 ko's) lost 4 drawn 0. Herbie, with tears flowing freely from his eyes told nigeriasports.com in Abuja of his humilating and sad experience in the hands of the Nigeria police.
" In my quest to have a home in my father land that I had bought a piece of land at Asokoro and signed a deal with a builder, an architect and a lawyer to ensure that the business was genuine. I came into the country last week only to find that nothing was done on the piece of land.

"When I arrived, I went to see the level of development on the land. To my greatest surprise, nothing was done. I was mad. I called the architect that I was in town and want to know the level of development on the house. "My agreement with him (architect) was that he build the house and hand me the keys. It was disappointing as nothing was done, and I told him, as you have not done the job, where is my money. He said he did not owe me any money, I went to over his house and on getting there, he has arranged with his sister, a DPO and other policemen with guns and were bullying on me.

The police (12 of them in plain clothes with guns) took me to Karu Police Station where I was detained for over 5hours. That was my first time of seeing gun. I've never seen it before all the years I've spent in England. I was scared stiff and praying that they should not shoot and kill me. It was a very terrible experience, (he sobs). I cried and was frightened. I was taken to Karu Police station and I was searched and in the process a policewoman removed my four thousand pounds sterling in my pocket. I thought she took it for safety. On my release, I said to her, can I have my money back, she said to me if you say that again, you'll be back in jail. I was trembling with fear, and could not say anything.

"Before I was let out of the cell, I spent well over N40, 000 through my lawyer. I was locked up for over 5hours, and I lost over half a stone while in the cell as I was made to lay on the bare floor", he narrated amidst sobbing. Apparently, still bitter at the treatment meted out to him at the police station, Hide said the policemen urged the inmates to brutalize him if he didn't part with his money in ‘settling’ them.

He stated that the inmate threatened and brutalised him, and the police were urging him to cooperate with them (inmates).

"The policemen were telling the inmate to beat me up if I did not comply with their demand. 'Oya make una deal with am' the police were directing the inmates on how to deal with me" At this juncture, the counsel whom he said has been a family lawyer declined to offer any explanation on how much was spent at the police station to get his bail. Instead, the lawyer, (names withheld) threatened to mess up the whole matter should he (Hide) continue in exposing the deal. Hide, adding the police brutality has indicated that the country is not safe for Nigerians in Diasporas to come and settle and invest. According to him his Briton wife has asked him to sell off the house and return to London instead of losing his life in the process of getting the work done. "No, I cannot run away from my fatherland", he insisted.

"I had wanted to put up a structure where I can stay with my family whenever I and or my family is in the country instead of going to the hotel, but the police are bending the truth to swindle me. I did not steal the money. I worked really hard for it. I’m known all over the world as a good boxer, and I made my money through boxing and nothing else", he said.

Former World Boxing Organisation heavyweight champion, Nigerian-born Herbie Hide has shifted forward his planned December fight in the United States of America owing to finger injury he sustained during training. Hide said in Abuja that a new date was yet to be fixed.

"It will take some time to fix a new date. But as soon as I return to England, I will resume training", he said. The Owerri born pugilist, who has subdued the like of Tony Tucker and some other tought boxers said he fear no foe in the ring. "Boxing is my business, and it has been my only source of livelihood.

Fidelis Ebu -Abuja