HURIWA alleges police harassment of Enugu community leaders

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Public Complaints Commission(PCC) over the alleged harassment and detention of Ugwuaji community leaders by police in the Enugu South Local Government Area of Enugu State over land ownership.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja yesterday, the National Coordinator of the group, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said there was no justification for the involvement of the police in land matters.

He said Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and his Commissioner for Housing should be invited to explain why the state government was claiming ownership of the land belonging to the community.

Also, Onwubiko said the Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu should explain why police were involved in the matter.According to him, the action has violated the Land Use Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The petition reads in part: “The Ugwuaji Progressives is drawn from all four villages in Ugwuaji Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area namely: Umunnugwu, Ndiaga, Isaigu, and Umunnajingene.

“We are constrained to forward this petition to you in order to bring to your knowledge, the dastardly act of malicious damage, destruction, and vandalisation of our community’s property, harassment of members of the coalition with men of Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police Force, including acts capable of inciting a communal war perpetrated allegedly by the Commissioner for Housing, Vitus Okechi.”

HURIWA called on the NHRC and PCC to intervene in the matter.