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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Women in the oil producing communities of Ohaji/Egbema Council Area of Imo State, yesterday, stormed the streets of Mmahu, the headquarters of the council, to protest alleged police brutality of the people, especially youths of the communities.
The aggrieved women, numbering over 500, stormed the streets with placards with various inscriptions such as: “stop killing our people; “we are law abiding citizens of this country”; “IGP called the Imo police to order”, among others.
They appealed to the Federal Government and Inspector General of Police to quickly come to their rescue. The women further alleged that their communities have been under police siege and that their sons have all fled, following alleged killings of victims of the brutality.
The women leader and spokesperson of the protesters, Mrs Anwulika Omogo, told newsmen that the police team that had been brutalising the communities was led by one Inspector Okeabatta Chika (alias Kill and Bury), a member of the disbanded SARS operators.
The women alleged that “kill and bury” had recruited unknown state actors as militia groups around the Egbema axis and tacking, killing, arresting innocent and law abiding residents of the area who he labelled with criminal charges.
“Most recent is the arrest of the PG of the community, Pastor Noble Chinedu Omogo, who was detained in the inspector’s illegal cell at the former NDDC Hospital in Mmahu for three days without investigation and any crime. The Inspector boasts that he is not answerable to both the Area Commander, DPO or any other police authority, as he is now police traditional ruler of Egbema. Egbema is a peaceful oil producing community, and we want the government to intervene in this issue before it would degenerate to children deciding to retaliate.”
Also speaking, Mrs Love Nzeoma said the community did not want what happened in Delta to happen to them.
“We do not want our children to go to self defence because they have been pushed to the wall. Any action they take may affect so many other lives and government installations. We respect the law, but we can no longer afford to keep quiet while our children are being killed daily on frivolous charges,” they said.
However, efforts to get reactions from spokesperson of the Imo State Police Command, Mr. Henry Okoye (ASP) was not successful as his cellphone number was unavailable, neither did he reply to the short message service (SMS) sent by Daily Sun as of press time.
