No fewer than 2,000 protesters Friday blocked the Anambra State police command headquarters’ gate to protest brutality against the female Youth Corps member and intimidation of citizens in the state by the Agunechemba security outfit and pestle carriers ( Ndi aka- odo).
The protesters under the aegis of ‘Make Anambra Great Again (MAGA),’ led by Sir Paul Chukwuma, said the state was under siege in the hands of the state security outfits known as Agunechemba and Operation Udo Ga Achi.
He said what happened to Jennifer Elohor, the female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), at Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area, was humiliating and embarrassing to the state and Nigeria at large.
Chukwuma, who is the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), said the people of Anambra would never keep quiet again in the killings, rape, kidnappings and other crimes that had taken over the state.
He said President Bola Tinubu had distributed enough funds to states in Nigeria, including Anambra State, to help in bettering the lives of the citizens, and asked, what happened to Anambra’s shares?
The protesters, including the young and old, men and women and many professionals, with placards with different descriptions.
Chukwuma further said the NYSC member was brutally rough-handled by the state government’s Agunechemba, who, according to him, were carrying an AK-47 in the state without authorisation, while asking the police to investigate the matter.
However, responding to the protesters, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP in charge of Operations, Ibrahim Ezekiel, commended the protesters for being peaceful without being violent.
Ezekiel, who represented the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, assured that the command would look into the allegation of the state-owned security outfit using AK-47.
Again, he said that the state government had already handed over those who assaulted the NYSC member to the police, adding that the command had started an investigation into the matter.
He noted that in line with its mandate to maintain peace and security, the Command would engage relevant state security stakeholders and partners to ensure that appropriate actions were taken to address the concerns raised, in accordance with the law and established procedures.
“The Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property, promoting lawful engagement, and working closely with all stakeholders to sustain peace and security in Anambra State,” the DCP said.
