The people of Agunese-Mmaku in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State, on Sunday, condemned what they called indiscriminate harassment and detention of their kinsmen by the police.
They warned that should the trend continue, it could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the community.
DAILY POST recalls that a prominent lawyer from the community, Barr Vincent Okafor, alongside two others were remanded in Correctional Service earlier in the week.
Rising from an emergency meeting as a result of the building tension, the community alleged incessant harassment, arrest and detention of kinsmen by the Nigerian police on “trumped-up allegations”.
The community appealed to the police high command under the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun, to order immediate release of those being held at various police gulags and Correctional facilities on such charges.
The people condemned the arrest of Mr. Vincent Okafor, a Lagos based senior lawyer, and two others, who were recently arraigned and remanded in Nigerian Correctional Service custody by the police for allegedly “promoting local war” in his hometown, Agunese Mmaku.
The community, under the aegis of Agunese-Mmaku Development Union (AMDU), also appealed to the state Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah to intervene by directing the appropriate Ministry or government agency to save the people from the harrowing experience, and ensure lasting peace in the community.
The community alleged that police actions were predicated on some misunderstanding relating to town union elections, which the community had since resolved and rested.
They, therefore, expressed shock and surprise that some “faceless” members of the community reasonably believed to be acting on the instruction of the traditional ruler, Igwe Cyprian Nevobasi, would raise petitions to the police on unfounded allegations.
The resolution of the community signed by Arc. Okike Simeon O, and Okolo Norbert Abba-Nebo, the President-General and Secretary-General of AMDU, respectively, and made available to journalists in Enugu, Sunday, lamented that the incessant arrest and detention of kinsmen was causing tension and threatening the peace in the community.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the arrest and detention of our people by the Enugu State Police Command, particularly Messrs Theophilus Chukwu, David Okeke and Barr Vincent Okafor on trumped-up charges without investigation or prosecution.
“The police insinuation that the arrested men were involved in war-like activities in our community and using guns and cutlasses to pursue our traditional ruler, Igwe Cyprian Nevobasi is untrue, unfounded, baseless and an attempt to give a dog a bad name just to hang it.
“That the persons mentioned as allegedly perpetrating these acts capable of breaching public peace in our community are responsible and highly-placed members of our community and never visited the village within the period in question,” the community leaders posited.
They alleged that presently, other sons of their community are hounded by the police, even as “the circumstances leading to their arrests and detention were predicated on an extant matter, which the community had discussed and rested and directed all parties to sheath their swords and give peace a chance for the development of the community.”
The community made it clear that there were no personal issues between the affected persons, stressing that “the issues in question had to do with disagreements over modalities for electing Town Union executives in 2021”.
The community leaders stated that the crime committed by those presently being hounded into detention was that they, as many others, insisted that the Town Union should be independent even while it works in concert with the traditional stool for the overall development of their community.
“We are therefore shocked that even when the entire community had discussed and resolved this matter, certain vested interests that feel the Town Union must be an extension of their realm are busy investing resources and time to ensure that all those that canvassed for an independent Town Union are put out of circulation with neither cause their actions nor reason their guide,” the community said.
The community maintained that the petitions were the handiwork of mischief makers who were bent on heating up the community and planting the seeds of discord among the people.
“The Nigerian Police should stop further arrests and detention of our people as this is creating enormous tension in our community and capable of further breaching our peace.
“The Nigeria Police should, without delay, release those already in their custody.
“The Nigerian Police should urgently unmask the faceless petitioners and compel them to prove the veracity of their claims or face the full weight of the law.”
Enugu community demands end to alleged incessant harassment, detention of kinsmen