Paraded terrorists: Police lied, Anambra lawmaker insists

A member of the Anambra state House of Assembly, Chief Pete Ibida has debunked the claim by the Anambra Police Command that the 23 persons it paraded on Monday were terrorists.

The lawmaker who is representing Njikoka II constituency in the State Assembly told journalists in Awka Thursday that most of the suspects were parties to a lingering land dispute between two neighboring communities of Abagana and Ukpo in Njikoka and Dunukofia local government areas, respectively.

He expressed sadness that the State Police Command on Monday paraded 23 suspects picked up at random from the areas and labeled them terrorists.

“What really happened, he said, “was a quarrel between Abagana and Ukpo communities over land. 

“I don’t agree with the police report that those arrested were terrorists. 

“To say that, amounts to denting the efforts of the state governor, Willie Obiano, who has wonderful long record of zero tolerance for crime and criminality”, the lawmaker stated.

The state Commissioner of Police (COMPOL), Mr Sam Okaula  who paraded them at the command headquarters in Awka had described them as “terrorists”.

The COMPOL had also alleged that the suspects attacked a police station in the area.

He noted that going by their number, they overwhelmed the four police officers on duty at the time and killed a security guard, named Emmanuel Okafor.

He added that, “The assailants went further to bomb the police post and a 10-room self-contained Police Barracks.”

He said the suspects burnt down two police vehicles.

The CP added that “DPO Ukpo, who led a patrol team to the scene, was shot. 

“Three other policemen received various degrees of bullet wounds from the assailants.”

Ibida described police action and manner of arrest of his people as indiscriminate and unprofessional. 

He therefore called for caution and sanity in the handling of this particular matter, as “Anambra people are not terrorists. 

“I came back from the United States of America two days ago and I have consulted with my people and they have briefed me. 

“Most of the people arrested were law-abiding people that I have known for a long time. 

“They can’t be terrorists over night at their advanced ages.

“I have also read the profile of the new Anambra Police commissioner, he is a solid policeman. 

“He should be discreet in the way he handles this matter. His predecessor did well here and Anambra was better for it.

He called on the warring communities to sheathe their swords, while calling the state governor and other stakeholders, especially oil magnate, Arthur Eze who is from the area, to wade into the matter to bring back sanity in the two communities. Look for more information here

On the allegation that the suspects met, planned and took off from a particular named hotel in Abagana, Mr Robinson Kalu, a supervisor at the hotel who spoke to journalists at the hotel yesterday said the police just stormed the area and indiscriminately arrested everyone in sight.

The arrested include customers who were watching a live football match and ten staffers of the filling station, wholesale beer depot, cleaners and security men attached to the complex.

He said they were no trouble makers at all. 

He urged police to be cautious always so that they don’t malign innocent law-abiding citizens going about their normal duties.

From Chuks Collins, Awka

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