Some people from Umualum village in Enugu-Agu Achi community in Enugu State have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to Gov. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi over police harassment and arrest for no offense.
The people, whose community is within Oji River Local Government Area, urged Ugwuanyi to stop a former Commissioner in the state, Dr Eric Oluedo, who is the title-holder representing the village in Igwe-in-council, to cease from using police to harass them.
They held a peaceful protest in the community on Sunday with placards reading the following inscriptions: “All We Need is Democratic Umunna”; “We Say No to the Tyranny of Dr Eric Oluedo” and “Please Gov. Ugwuanyi Rescue Us” among others.
One of the leaders of the protesting members of the village, Mr Sunday Umeh, said the only crime he committed was that he supported a prayer crusade in the village.
Umeh said that the prayer crusade was meant to seek the face of God over what he described situation where most youths in the village were not progressing in life.
He alleged that police personnel within the area were being used to terrorise them because they wanted to worship God and seek divine solution to their widely known problems.
Collaborating, the youth leader of the village, Mr Kingsley Oluedo, confirmed that two people had been arrested, while five others had been invited by the police.
Oluedo urged the governor to prevail on Dr Eric Oluedo to stop using the police to harass them for seeking solution to their village problems.
Mr Chiagoziem Udegbunnam, a youth in the village, alleged that youths were being locked up almost on daily basis on the alleged order of Dr Eric Oluedo.
“We now take refuge in neighbouring communities, as no one was sure who was next to be locked up in the police cell,” Udegbunnam said.
Mrs Victoria Nwankwo, Catechist, Assumption Catholic Parish in Enugu-Agu Achi, alleged that the only communal palm plantation in the village which was only source of revenue generation for the village was converted to personal property by Dr. Eric Oluedo.
“I can authoritative tell you that this development has further worsen the hardship of the people especially those of us living in the village,” Nwankwo, who is also a mother, said.
When contacted, Dr Eric Oluedo, absolved himself from all the allegations; adding that he was a known peace maker as well as an international chartered mediator and arbitrator of peace.
Oluedo said he had nothing to do with the arrest or using police to harass anybody as that was done by the duly elected executives of the village.
He said that the town hall complex which he was accused of locking, was in agreement with the government, village and the security agents to check activities of those who use the building to commit crimes and take hard drugs.
“Also, I have for long hands-off the palm plantation I was being accused of taking and at no time did I personally benefited a kobo from it. They can make inquiring from the present village executives,” he said.
He said that he had before now contributed greatly to the development of his village and impacted greatly on lives of most of his village members; adding: “These falsehood and unfounded allegations are done to dint my image”.
When contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, said that the police would investigate the allegation.
