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Obinna Odogwu, Awka
A political economist, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo, has expressed shock over the killing of two young men in Nkpor, Idemmili North Local Government Area of Anambra State by the police for allegedly violating the COVID-19 lockdown rule in the state.
In a statement, he described life as a precious gift from God that should not be cut-short by human beings no matter the level of provocation.
He, therefore, urged security operatives and residents to always exercise restraint while engaging each other on contending issues, including the implementation of the COVID-19 regulations put in place by the state government.
“I have watched with great concern the apparent and escalating unease in these early days of the two-week lockdown imposed on residents by the Anambra State government to help check the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. Nowhere is this anxiety more evident than with the widely reported shooting of two young men in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area by the police for violating the lockdown.
“Along with this very tragic incident are reports of human rights violations by security agencies across the state, including a trending video, online, in which law enforcement personnel blew up the front tyres of a car belonging to a man who was driving to a bank ATM to withdraw money for his family’s upkeep. Not surprisingly, the reported killings in Nkpor along with other violations by security agents and the economic hardship occasioned by the lockdown have led to demonstrations and growing restiveness among residents of the state.
“In the light of these unfortunate developments, I urge law enforcement agents to exercise utmost restraint in enforcing the lockdown by adopting de-escalating skills to ensure things don’t get out of control in their engagement with residents who are already stressed out by the physical, emotional and economic impact of the stay-at-home order and the pandemic that engendered it.
“This period, more than any other, calls for humane law enforcement; done with love, empathy, thoughtfulness and restraint. Law enforcement agencies should realise that they are there primarily for the citizens and must strive always to earn their trust and those who violate their oath must be identified and brought to justice in accordance with the law.
“On their part, residents should respect security agencies and recognise they are doing a difficult job often under very difficult conditions. It is a win-win for all if the threat to our collective existence brought about by the pandemic can help foster a better, more collaborative relationship between security agencies and the good people of Anambra State. This really should be our collective aspiration and requires all of us doing our bit for that to happen,” Okonkwo said.
The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) urged the residents to always abide by regulations approved by the federal government and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) targeted at curtailing the spread of COVID-19.
