Police, Right Group Bicker Over Police brutality, Harassment In Ebonyi
A Human Right Group, The Human Right Defenders, HURIDE and the Ebonyi State Police Command, yesterday bickered over what the right group described alarming reports on cases of various human rights violations on the side of police operatives against innocent and unsuspecting citizens of the State.
The Right Group had yesterday in a statement signed by it’s Chairman, Comrade Oko Nweke and made available to newsmen alleged harassments, torture, forceful transfer of money, arbitrary detention and more against police officers in the state.
The group noted that people no longer sleep for fear of the police. Freedom of movement and of peaceful gathering have somewhat become a crime overnight in Abakaliki.
The group said, “few days ago, a man from Ohaukwu LGA reported an unfortunate incident alleging that a team of policemen, kidnapped” his pastor’s son with eight other young men. Some of them are students of EBSU while some are business men.
“The policemen drove them to their office and forced them to transfer all the money in their accounts, ranging from ₦30,000 from the poor student and 10million from others. The victims were dropped off the next day after it was confirmed that the monies had been cashed.
“Normal social gathering are now being avoided in Abakaliki for fear of unwarranted police invasion. Young men with good looks, good phones and good cars are the basic prey of the police operatives.
“Some of the victims have lost their lives, while many have been forcefully dispossessed of their life savings while many others are languishing in different police cells and even prisons for no known crime.
The group called for an immediate stoppage of the unfortunate incident and resurrecting cases of unwholesome police activities in Abakaliki.
But in a swift reaction, the Ebonyi State Police command said that CP Augustina Ogbodo has zero tolerance for Extortion, incivility to members of the Public, unlawful arrest, detention and brutality to the civil populace.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, SP Onome Onovwakpoyeya said the allegations were never at any point reported to the Police public relations Office or to the Commissioner Of Police.
She noted that some persons are out to attack the Command and the person of the Commissioner Of Police unjustly since the allegations contained therein cannot be substantiated as it was not established in any form anywhere in the Command.
