New Telegraph

We’ll no longer tolerate police road blocks, says Umahi

Governor of Ebonyi State, Chief Dave Umahi, yesterday threatened to employ protesters the military and the police to dismantle all road blocks in the state with a view to stopping incessant harassment and extortion of motorists and okada riders. This is even as he promised to set up judicial panel of inquiry today this week to look into police brutality in the state. He, however, urged motorists, okada riders and youth in the state to stop giving money to policemen on the roads, saying ‘enough is enough’.

Umahi while addressing EndSARS’ protesters, who besieged old Government House Abakaliki to protest police brutality, extortion, harassment and intimidation, said the state would no longer tolerate such in the area.

He said: “One of the things that I am going to be taking on with the Commissioner of police and the Army Commander is to dismantle road blocks in Ebonyi State. “What we are going to accept is that police stay by the side if they suspect a vehicle, they search the vehicle, they go away. Any policeman that asks you for money, alert me to resist that, call me on phone. Don’t give money to any policeman again, enough is enough.

“I want to assure you that as far as I remain the Governor of Ebonyi State, nobody is going to molest you. You are fighting for your rights, you are fighting for your children, you are fighting for your future.

So, what you are doing is constitutional but you must be orderly to get something out of it. On the issue of activities of police at the Ekeaba police station, we are going to address it. “You demanded judicial panel of inquiry, we will set it up tomorrow.

The members will be required from High Court Judge; you will deliver two people to be members of judicial panel of inquiry. “There will be one youth leader, one student will participate, there will also be a representative of the police and then representative of human rights and then one person from the office of the Attorney- General. What they sit and investigate the spate of police brutality, human rights violation and related extra-judicial killings. They will recommend compensations.”

Read Previous

2023: Why South-East govs must abandon PDP for APC, by OYC

Read Next

Owerri grounded as protests rock Imo

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *