Politics
The youths of Umuasonye Community in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo have been warned to desist forthwith from engaging in acts that could lead to a breakdown of law and order in the area.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Isaac Akinmoyede, gave the warning in a statement issued on Monday in Owerri by the command’s spokesman, Mr Orlando Ikeokwu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that some youths of the community last week embarked of a street protest against two prominent persons in the community, Prince Onyemauche and Chibueze Adiele.
The protesters alleged that the duo were using their police orderlies to harass and intimidate innocent members of the community.
Akinmoyede, however, stated that the command did not receive any report of the alleged use of police orderlies by Onyemauche and Adiele to cause problem in their community.
He, therefore, warned the youths to discontinue with their “frivolous” protest or any acts capable of causing a breach of the peace in the area.
In a similar vein, the Chairman, Police Public Relations Committee in the area, Mr Alphonsus Ekeanyawu, advised the protesters against their action, describing their allegation as baseless.
Ekeanyawu alleged that the protest was being “sponsored by hidden faces to cause tension in the community”.
He further accused the protesters of hiding under the guise of protest to mislead members of the public.
He alleged that the youths, numbering 20, “are in a mission to blackmail and incite the public against Onyemauche and Adiele”.
“As a stakeholder in community policing, I have not got any report about the use of police orderlies to harass or intimidate members of the community.
“Onyemauche is a notable philanthropist, who has helped in the development of Umuasonye and Obowo.
“He was also instrumental to the protection of Obowo police station during the EndSARS protest,” Ekeanyawu stated.
He urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr Muhammad Adamu, to disregard the protest.
He further assured the police chief of PCRC’s readiness to continue to partner with the police and other security agencies in the area.
Also, the President-General of the community, Mr Victor Onyebuchi, told NAN that the few youths, who staged the protest “do not have the permission of the community”.
“We have no fewer than 2,000 youths in our community but those who protested were less than 20, so they cannot represent the interest of our youths.
“I have contacted our traditional ruler on this issue but he denied knowledge of any harassment in the community. So I can tell you that the protesters acted on their own,” Onyebuchi said.
In its reaction, the Obowo Progressive Youths, an umbrella body for all the youth organisations in the area, issued a statement on Monday to distance itself from the protest. (NAN)
– Nov. 16, 2020 @ 16:09 GMT |
Tags: others warn against street protests in Imo community PCRC police
