Lockdown: Ohanaeze youths flay police brutality, skewed palliatives

By DENNIS AGBO

Worldwide Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing has dared the police and other security agencies to inflict further harm or death on any Igbo citizen and await its revenge

The apex Igbo Youth group also frowned at what it alleged was a skewed distribution of the federal government palliatives, cushioning the effects of paralyzed economy as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a statement, Thursday, President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth wing Worldwide, Amb. Arthur Obiora said that they have observed with dismay, the brutality of law enforcement agents, particularly the Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, on Igbo citizens, in the guise of enforcing the Stay At Home order as a result of the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Oberoi said the group has counted several instances of impunity against Igbo citizens in the Igbo-speaking states of Abia, Anambra, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Rivers, as a result of the lockdown, which in some cases resulted to deaths of innocent and hungry citizens.

“Igbo youths, therefore, make bold to say that we will no longer condone undeserved death of our people as a result of trigger-happy unscrupulousness of law enforcement agents posted to Igboland, where they have turned goldmine, corruptly feeding on the sweat and blood of our people,” Obiora fumed.

He pleaded with the Inspector General of Police, Adamu Abubakar to call his boys to order and ensure that they act with civility in the course of their job.

Obiora further alleged that policemen lobby to be posted to Igboland, where among other things they have perpetrated extrajudicial killings and odious money-making.

“Henceforth, Igbo youths will no longer guarantee to treat with kid gloves any unwarranted attack by the police, let alone reckless killing of Igbo citizen as a result of issues arising from Covid-19 or any other matter thereof.

“In the same manner, Ohanaeze Youths frowns at the distribution of the Coronavirus palliatives to the identified 2.6 million Nigerians in 11 million households which no Igbo has reportedly benefited from.

“Matters as this type of skewed programme give the impression that the Igbo are either second class citizens or are not wanted in the federation.

“Is the federal government saying that there is no poor family in Igboland? Even if the Igbo are better off in the indices of a standard of living, the present palliatives are emergency commodities that require that every affected citizen should benefit from.

“Ohanaeze Youths, therefore, urge President Mohammadu Buhari to call for scrutiny of the palliatives to ensure that no part of the country is left out as beneficiaries,” Obiora stated.

He, however, urged Ndigbo, wherever they reside, to comply with measures and orders of the government, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, and the World Health Organisation, WHO, to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, “hoping that in the shortest time we shall all be free again to continue transaction of our businesses.” (Vanguard)