Youths of Isuaniocha community in Awka North Local government area of Anambra state have called on the Inspector General of police to urgently look into what they called incessant arrests of people from the town by some police operatives.
In a peaceful protest that had more than eighty youths, the people alleged that some individuals in the community were using their wealth to invite police and other security operatives to intimidate, harass and arrest them without any established offence or crime committed.
Our correspondent reports that the police public relations officer, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga in a swift reaction advised the protesting youths to write an official letter to the command for their matter to be looked into.
The youths who chanted solidarity songs carried placards with inscription like “Isuaniocha people are crying for help, Governor Soludo come to our aid, Governor Soludo, Isuaniocha people are dying please Save us from brutality, DSP Mathew Agu and others are terrorists in police uniform, IGP please intervene, Tony Onyeagolum and his cohorts have messed up our community with cultism as they march through the Civic Center in the Community” .
Addressing newsmen, their spokesperson and Youth leader of Isuaniocha, Ozor Onyemazu Ngini narrated that there had been crisis in the community since 2017 when Mr. Tony Onyeagolu was the President General and after one year began to have misunderstandings with the people.
According to him, the crises led to the death of some individuals in the area and also caused destruction of property.
“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 later 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”.
The youth leader claimed that upon observing that the community was making efforts to elect a new President General and have a traditional ruler, the same suspected people started using the police and other security agents to harass and intimidate him and others who are out to ensure that peace is returned to Isuaniocha.
“I will say that the police is the bane of this society, police knows everything but they are paid to come and disorganise our community and they have been doing it.
The person they have been using is one DSP Mathew Agu from Force CID Area 10, Abuja. As it is now a lot of people are missing in Isuaniocha and more than one hundred names are still on thief list for arrest. They even invaded my house, broke everywhere, took away my wife money and burnt some of my items. ”
Mr Ngini said all the youths and other residents want is for the Commissioner of Police, Mr Echeng Echeng and the Anambra State government to be aware of what is happening in Isuaniocha Community where some persons are using few corrupt police officers to destabilize the town.
Another youth who gave his name as Mr. Chukwuma regretted that the situation had put a clog in the wheels of development in the area while youths continue to abandon their jobs and run away due to incessant police intimidation.
Reacting to the allegations, the former President General of Isuaniocha, Mr. Tony Onyeagolu denied any involvement in the alleged Killing of persons or destruction of property in the area noting that he was equally arrested by the police in 2020 and was in detention for 6 months and 2 weeks after which the matter was charged to court.
“I was arrested in government House , when I saw the 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”
In a telephone interview, the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra state, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga said police only came to the aid of civilians to maintain law and order as well as to make sure that lives and property are protected.
“We want to use this medium to encourage the youths not to go to the streets, if they have any complain they should write to us, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra state, CP Echeng Echeng is ready to listen to their complaints than hitting the streets in protest which may be hijacked and their aim defeated”.
The people of Isuaniocha Community are expectant that the authorities of the Nigerian police and the Anambra State government will urgently come to their aid by finding a lasting peace to the crisis tearing apart the community and stopping the development of the area.
