Residents of ancient Ughelli kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful rally across the metropolis, accusing the police and hunters of being the brains behind the incessant kidnappings in the kingdom.
The carnival-like rally literally paralysed commercial activities and vehicular movement for several hours as the protesters barricaded roads within Ughelli metropolis over alleged misconduct of the Police and local vigilante.
Armed with placards with inscriptions such as, ‘Freeman is a kidnapper he must go, “Police brutality is getting too much,” “Police in Ughelli are fighting the innocent, instead of criminals,” ‘Too much of police illegal activities in the land,” and “Ughelli Police should allow our people free movement,” among others, the protesters accused a sect of the police and hunters attached to the Ughelli Area Command of alleged kidnapping.
The president-general of Ekiugbo community, Comrade Bernard Baker, while addressing journalists, said, “We are protesting because of the unfortunate things being perpetrated by hunters and a few policemen, especially a cop identified as Freeman and a hunter identified as Makolomi.
“A lot of kidnapping has been going on in our communities despite the efforts of the Ovie, UDU, president general, who brought all the communities presidents-general to establish a security outfit that has been doing the job.
“But all the police come here to do is to terrorize and extort people as they move about with battle axes and PoS machine to transfer money from suspects.
“We came to know that the hunters are the masterminds of kidnappings in Ughelli led by that same Freeman, any time there is an issue of kidnapping, the hunters will not come because they are hiding the kidnappers.
“Until last week at the palace here, when a prince was brutalized by this group of people led by the same Insp Freeman.
“We are here to tell our father, the king that all the rumors that the hunters in collaboration with some of the police are the brain behind the kidnapping in the town and we want them to leave our kingdom for us to have peace.
“They arrest infants and pregnant women in Ekiugbo community for no just cause: they brutalize our youth chairman and one other person whom they rushed either to police station or hospital.
“We are calling for the dismissal of that police officer called Freeman.”
ChaIrman of Ekiugbo vigilantes, Mr Ovwigho Emmanuel, who also addressed journalists during the rally, said, “I was in my compound when I heard noise and I when I came out, I saw policeman that I know, one Freeman Lucky and being an officer that I know, I went to make enquiries on what was happening.
“He started pushing me away and I also observed that his colleagues were threatening to shoot, the hunter, Makolomi, also came pushing me forcefully.
“Immediately I left them, they started shooting and arresting but my intention was to protect them against mob as people that we both work together.
“After going with three arrested persons, they came to my house to arrest one of our persons, Mr One Love, after using battle axe on him and our youth chairman.
“I believed the police are to protect lives and properties, but these particular ones working under the Ughelli Area Commander here are brutalizing people and exploiting people.”
Reacting to the protest, the Ovie of Ughelli Kingdom, HRM Dr Wilson Ojakovo Oharisi III, said, “I am in support of the my people because the protest is a genuine one and from there we will solve the problems that this Freeman and the hunters are causing.
“For now, we have known one of the police officers, Freeman who always uses hunters to batter people with battle axe, he led his group last week to arrest the kingdom vigilantes and Otovwodo Civil Defence just like what he did yesterday at Ekiugbo community.
“That policeman called Freeman is another problem in our Kingdom and from the way they are describing him, he is the one we know now as the judas in the kingdom
“The hunters and Freeman are the people responsible for the activities going in our community and we cannot arrest them.”
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO, Delta Police Command, Bright Edafe, said the command was aware of the protest at Ughelli on Wednesday.
He described the allegation of policemen working hand in hand with hunters to kidnap their youths as “fat lies.”
According to him, some four Ughelli youths were arrested in a car without plate number on Tuesday, and rather than explaining to the police who owns the car, they mobilised youths to assault policemen who were on a lawful duty, adding that a cop fatally injured is still lying critically in the hospital.
Edafe added that no fewer than 10 suspects have been arrested in connection with the assault on the police as instructed by the Commissioner of Police, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, who has warmed that he would not tolerate assault on his men.
“The Command is aware of the arranged protest at Ughelli North LGA today 14/2/2024, stating falsely that Policemen alongside some members of the hunters’ group were involved in Kidnapping. The allegations is completely false, mischievous and misleading. For benefit of doubt and for members of the public to be informed of the true situation, the Command wishes to state as follows;
“On 13/2/2024 at about 1715 hours, while the Police surveillance team attached to Ughelli Area Command was on surveillance patrol, they intercepted a white GLK Benz without plate numbers.
“The police in their curiosity asked the occupants to reveal their identities and establish ownership of the vehicle, the suspects could not give any reasonable and satisfactory explanation and were asked to come along with them for further investigation.
“The suspects declined and called one Edirin Ogogorode who came with a car and blocked the Police. However, the police subdued them and took the suspects to the police station.
“On returning to recover the GLK which at that time was suspected to be a stolen vehicle, one Jeffery Augustine mobilized youths of the community in their numbers and attacked the Policemen during which one of the officers was seriously injured and is still receiving treatment at the hospital.
“A total of ten suspects were arrested and will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation,” he noted.