Enugu communities petition IGP, ask him to investigate officials at zone 13 Anambra
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba
Ndiagu and Umunneshi kindred of Amaechi Uwani Community, Enugu South Council, Enugu State, have asked the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate a case of human rights abuse, and interest of his officials attached to Zone 13, Anambra State, led by Yomi Lawrence, on Centenary City Estate, Enugu.
They alleged that natives of the area have continued to be threatened, arrested, tortured and detained by the police, even after they had settled differences with officials of the Centenary City Estate, who acquired the area from the state government.
In the petition, which the Commissioner representing South East in the Police Service Commission, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State and Chairman, Police Service Commission, as well as Enugu State Commissioner of Lands were copied, they alleged that the arrest and detention of Okwudili Nnaji, Chidiebere Eneh, Godswill Uchenna and Nnamani Friday by the Zone 13 police officers is the latest hounding of the area.
The petition, titled: ‘Unlawful Usage Of Police Personnel And Machineries to Abuse, Intimidate And Violate Rights Of Our People,’ which was signed by their lawyer, Maxwell Orah, they alleged that Lawrence and his team have continued to rely on “false petitions” from certain persons to harass and intimidate the people, even when the matter had been handled by the Deputy Inspector General of Police.
The petitioners stated that the latest arrest of four of their kinsmen was based on false petition that they are murderers and terrorists, alleging that efforts to get them out through bail have been refused by the police.
Orah said: “When our clients went to Zone 13 Police Headquarters to get bail for the detainees, Lawrence refused to allow them on bail. Until now, they have left these persons in police detention for the past two weeks or more without any justifiable reasons, and in total violation of their fundamental human rights.” He urged the IGP to wade into the matter, and get “neutral good police officers from any jurisdiction,” to take over the case.
