By Izunna Okafor, Awka
It was a dramatic scene on Wednesday as women from 20 villages in Awka the capital city of Anambra State, stormed the Headquarters of the Anambra State Police Command in Amawbia, to express their grievances against what they described as mindless killings of their relatively.
Accompanied by some male folks, the women, who said they could no longer continue to watch in silence while their kinsmen are being wantonly killed, marched around the various parts of the capital city with placards that had various inscriptions during the protest, before they eventually stormed the Police Headquarters.
The protesters also accused two senior officers of the Anambra State Police Command of aiding and abetting bribery and corruption in Awka, as well as working hand-in-hand with the people responsible for crimes in the area.
During the peaceful protest, the people demanded the immediate removal of the accused officers, DC Akin Fakorode in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (State-CID), and Inspector Monday Umana, who is also working with the State CID.
The protesters, who moved around with a mock coffin, gave the concerned authorities a 7-day ultimatum to remove the indicted personnel from office and replace them with new persons.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the protest, one of the protesters, Chief Richard Onourah, said they were protesting to let the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetoku, the Anambra State Police Commissioner, CP Adeoye Aderemi and the general public to know the atrocities the above mentioned officers have committed in Awka and it environ.
According to him, the protest was also as a result of the constant killings and other major crime waves in Awka.
“We are asking the IGP and the Police Service Commission (PSC) to please remove DC Akin Fakorode and Inspector Umana, because, we, the elders and leaders of this protesting quarters, comprising 20 villages that form Awka capital, observed that most of the unholy activities in this town are been aided by the two officers. They are they ones masterminding the acts.
“For their selfish interest, they also destabilized our local security outfit know as the Blue Shield, established to rid Awka of criminalities.
“We are tire of burying our children. We want peace in our town. We are helpless, the Police authority should come to our rescue,” he lamented.
Reacting to the accusations of the protesters, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the officers of the Command were not involved in the alleged cult-related killings in Awka.
According to him, the two accused officers were part of the security operatives who worked hard to restore peace in Awka metropolis, and could never involve in such crime they being accused of.
The Police Spokesperson, who commended the protesters for their peaceful conduct during the protest, assured that the Command under the leadership of CP Adeoye Aderemi, would investigate all the allegations and come out with a report.
“The allegations will not demoralize us or weaken our effort in protecting lives and properties of Ndi Anambra,” he said.
According to him, it was through the efforts of the police that peace and harmonious atmosphere have returned to many communities in the State, including Ogidi and Obosi which were hitherto known for leadership tussle and high rate of crimes.
“The Police will continue to work in partnership with other sister agencies, the state-owned vigilante, community/religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders to sustain the peaceful altmophere the state is currently breeding,” he added.
