– Calls For Arrest Of Culprits
President of Protect The Weak International Foundation PROWIF, (Worldwide) a human rights advocacy group based in Owerri, the Imo State capital, Mazi Chinonso Uba, popularly called Nonsonkwa has condemned the way and manner police patrol teams harass, intimidate and extort money from Imo youths in different guises.
The ace broadcaster called on the new Commissioner of police in the state Stephen Olariwaju to beam his search light on the activities of joint patrol teams in the state that comprise, the Nigeria police, military and personnel of the Nigeria security and Civil Defence Crops, who have formed the habit of molesting and extorting money from innocent law abiding youths of Imo State, especially students of tertiary institutions, who they falsely accuse of being either yahoo boys or members of IPOB.
The human rights who activist disclosed this in a statement he made available to the press gave instances of how, when and how such incidents happened around the back gate of Imo State university, Owerri, Ikenegbu Layout, Nekede, Ihiagwa, Wethral Road, Douglas Road axis, Mbaise toads axis, Aba Road, Onitsha Owerri Road and Okigwe Road, among other places.
According to him, the joint patrol teams recklessly double cross young men especially those in posh cars, intimidate and force them to come down from their cars. They also throw them off balance by leveling frivolous allegations against them in a bid to compel them to part with huge sums of money.
They called on the new Commissioner of Police in the State, to address the situation and protect innocent law abiding youth from the fraudulent antics of corrupt security operatives in the state.
‘’These are the bad eggs that are denting the image of the Nigeria police and painting the country black in the comity of nations’’.
‘’The worst part of these unfortunate incidents is the threat of tagging them IPOB or ESN members if they refuse to “co-operate” with them.
We have had cases of undergraduate students of the Federal University of Technology FUTO, Federal Polytechnic Nekede and the Imo State University IMSU being hoodwinked into making huge monetary transfers of between two hundred thousand naira and fifty thousand naira.
This has continued unabated without reaction from the Imo state police command or the Imo state government’’.
‘’Imolites are peace loving people but may not tolerate the Intimidation much longer if nothing is done.
Our group will continue to remind security agents of the need to always stick to the rules of engagement in the discharge of their constitutional and statutory duties to avoid avoidable situations that might trigger an inbalance to the security of lives and properties’’.
The group however cautioned Imo youths to always stay clean so as to have the rightful stand whenever they are being intimidated by the joint Patrol teams.
PROWIF further admonished the youths not to be cowed or forced to make monetary transfers but insist on being taken to the station if they committ any offense.
‘’Finally, we at Protect The Weak International Foundation PROWIF are ready to defend any Imo youth who feels that his right has been trampled upon by the joint Patrol teams. We shall offer such Imo youth free legal representation in Court and ensure that justice is served’’.
