Anambra youths raise alarm over plot by RSS operatives to bury unknown corpse on community land
By Cajetan Mmuta, Awka
The youths of Ezinao Community in Awka South local government area of Anambra’ state have raised the alarm over an alleged plan by officials of the Rapid Response Squad of the State Police Command to bury the corpse of an unknown person in their community land.
They alleged that the grand plot by the RRS operatives was to frame up their youth leader, Mr. Tochukwu Nwokoye.
Already, there has been a running battle between the people of Ezinano Community in Awka and the Superintendent of Police in charge of the RRS unit of the SCID Annex Awkuzu, SP Ifeanyi Iburu over his alleged excesses bothering on land matters, illegal arrest, intimidation and detention of some individuals from the community.
Mr. Tochukwu Nwokoye, the youth leader of the Ezinano Community in an interview with newsmen on Sunday while narrating his ordeal in the hands of the senior police in charge of the RRS unit, described his experience in the hands of Iburu as not only terrifying but also horrible.
Nwokoye who spoke from his hospital bed said he and others were in their ancestral land at Ezinano and suddenly, a team of policemen led by Supol Ifeanyi Iburu stormed the place and started shooting sporadically, ordering them to lie down or be shot dead.
According to him, he had not met Iburu before and did not know him; but wondered why he (Iburu and other policemen) stormed their Ancestral land in a commando style forcing them to lie down or be killed.
“We were at our land at Ezinano on the 1st of September 2024. We have plotted the land, fenced it, even our women have planted cassava there. When we went there, we discovered that some people came with excavators and were destroying our crops, removing beacons.”
“We sent our Youth Secretary to B division, in Awka, to make entry along with the ladies who planted cassava there. The Divisional Police Officer in charge of B.division sent two policemen to know what was happening, before then we had stopped those people with excavators from destroying our crops and removing our beacons.”
“As we were there, suddenly, we saw some people with guns shooting and asking us to lie down or risk being killed. We obeyed and they were about 15 in number. As the Youth leader, I asked them what was the problem, but instead, they started beating me.
“One of the B Division officers sent by their DPO told them they were there to investigate the problem, they resorted to beating him, describing him as one of the accomplices of criminalities in the town. At that time the youths with me wanted to be angry, but I calmed them down.
“They took me away to RRS headquarters at Awkuzu and after reaching Ukpor- Abba junction, Iburu started calling one Peter that he should bring out AK47 from the armoury. When I asked him, what was happening, he threatened to kill me if I did not take my time. He said we have been killing people and burying them in that land, thinking that nobody knows. He told me that if they could not trace any grave there, they would kill one person and bury him there, and we will answer the question.”
“When we got to Awkuzu RRS Station, they brought out one AK 47 rifle, and tried to hang it on my neck, I resisted it and they started beating me again and forcefully hung the gun on my neck and took pictures of me with the gun.
“After that, he ordered that I be sent to cell five, Meanwhile, he had not taken any statement from me. As I got inside the cell, I saw about seven malnourished persons and they told me for three months they had not eaten. Not up 30 minutes, one died and they took him away. At about 6.30 to 8 pm, they called my name that I should wear my clothes. I wore my clothes; they started threatening to kill me again and I asked again, what is the problem? He said that we have been killing people and burying them in that land.”
He (RRS Chief) said that if they could not find anyone, they would bury one for us and show the AK47 he found with me.
