500 women protest in Ebonyi
In what appeared to be a reminiscent of the famous Aba women riot of 1929, more than 500 protesting women from Agbaja Unuhu in Abakaliki local government area of Ebonyi state yesterday stormed the headquaters of the Ebonyi state police command demanding the removal of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Central Police Station Abakaliki, Mr. Onyeulor for alleged bribery and connivance with trouble makers.
The women who chanted war songs with palm fronds tied around their head, blocked the main entrance to the police command located opposite Government House Abakaliki, preventing vehicular and human traffic from the command for more than an hour.
The women also demanded the release from police custody, three men from their community who were arrested on Saturday on the orders of the DPO.
It took the intervention of the newly posted Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kachi Udoji who acceded to the demands of the women by ordering the release of the detained men, before the women retreated and continued with their protest by moving round the major streets before dispersing.
A leaflet distributed by the women read Oga DPO change Mr. Onyeulor the DPO, CPS Abakaliki because he aids trouble makers. DPO, Abakaliki takes bribe from innocent persons and aids trouble makers-especially cult boy.
Reacting to the development the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Fredrick N-Nudam, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) who confirmed the incident, stated that the three men whose release the women were demanding for were arrested on a case of malicious damage reported by one Stephen Uguru.
Yes, at about 11am some women were seen at the gate of the state headquaters of the police command demanding the release of three men arrested from Agbaja Unuhu community and as a result of their presence here the Commissioner of Police came down and addressed them and assured them that the men arrested in respect of a case of malicious damage will be immediately released, and that was what he did the matter is a matter that is bailable so if they are released on bail, definitely the matter will still be discreetly investigated and as soon as the investigation is completed they will be arraigned in court," he stated.
On the allegation that the DPO encourages trouble makers and takes bribe from innocent people, the PPRO said, "How can you say a policeman whose primary duty is to maintain law and order in his area of jurisdiction be involved in cultism; making trouble? That is fallacioushowever; departmental investigation will be conducted to know actually the true position of the petition or complaints of these women"
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