By Cajetan Mmuta
Hundreds of Youths of the Isuaniocha community in Awka North Local government area of Anambra state on Wednesday raised the alarm over alleged incessant arrests of Indigenes and residents of the area by operatives of the state command.
They accused certain influential individuals in the area of engaging security operatives to intimidate, harass and arrest them without any established offenses or crimes.
The protesting youths who chanted solidarity songs carried placards with varying inscriptions including, “Isuaniocha people are crying for help, Governor Soludo come to our aid, Isuaniocha people are dying, please Save us from brutality, among others.
The Community’s Youth leader, Ozor Onyemazu Nagini in an interview with newsmen regretted that the crisis had led to the death of some individuals and the destruction of property worth several millions of naira in the area.
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He called on the authorities of the Nigerian police and the State government to urgently come to their aid by finding lasting peace to the crisis as the community had been torn apart and development denied to the people.
He said, “There has been a crisis in the town since 2017 when one Mr. Tony Onyeagolu was the President General who started having misunderstandings with the people a year after.
“During that time we were calling police to come to our rescue, they did not listen, Anambra state police command under the administration of CP Garba Umar did not respond until we went to Abuja to report too.
“Later those suspected to have committed the murder ran away including the former president general. The matter was charged to court and there were allegations and counter-allegations, the matter was later struck out last month, March 2022”.
“When they observed the community was making efforts to elect a new President General and traditional ruler, the same people started using the police and other security agents to harass and intimidate us who are out to ensure peace returns to Isuaniocha.
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“Presently, a lot of people are missing in Isuaniocha and more than one hundred names are still on the thief list for arrest. They even invaded my house, broke everywhere, took away my wife’s money, and burnt some of my items.
“We want the Commissioner of Police Mr. Echeng Echeng and government to be aware of what is happening in our community where some persons are using a few corrupt police officers to destabilize the town.”
Another youth who simply identified himself as Chukwuma regretted that the situation had impeded development in the area while youths had fled the community, abandoning their jobs due to incessant police intimidation.
In his reaction, former President General of the community Mr. Tony Onyeagolu denied any involvement in the alleged killings or destruction of property, saying he was equally arrested by the police in 2020 and was in detention for over six months before the matter was charged.
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“I was arrested in government house, when I saw police I did not run, I followed them, they detained me for six months and two weeks. I am not using any police to harass anybody, if the police invite them they should go and answer and stop using placards to cover their faces. let them stop claiming what is not right,” he stressed.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, when contacted, advised the protesting youths to formally write a petition to the Command so that their case could be looked into.
He said Police only visited the town to assist in maintaining law and order as well as to make sure lives and property were protected.
“We want to use this medium to encourage the youths not to go to the streets. If they have any complaints they should write to us, the Commissioner of Police, Echeng Echeng is ready to listen to their complaint than hitting the streets in protest which may be hijacked and their aim defeated,” he said.
