…. Police dismiss report as mischievous and fake
….HURIDE condemns act, task security agencies to rearrest “Escaped Warlords immediately
Ibe Pascal Arpgorn
A total of 55 out of the 66 suspected warlords arrested on Saturday afternoon at one of the flash points in Effium community, Ohaukwu local government area of Ebonyi state by a combined team of Police and Army following the lingering communal war between the people of Effium and Ezza Effium in the community, have reportedly escape from police custody.
The suspected warlords were arrested at Okpuduma village of the community with arms and charms during the raid of the area by General Commander, 82 Division of the Nigeria Army, Maj. Gen. Taoreen Lagbaja.
Lagbaja who on operational visit to the community following persistent killings, shootings and burning of houses in trouble community, was led by other top army officers, the state Commissioner of Police, Aliyu Garba, and his special team, the State Deputy Governor Dr. Kelechi Igwe, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Border Peace, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha among other government officials, facilitated the arrest of the suspected warlords who were seen in the deserted village.
Police: No escape of suspects in Ebonyi
The Ebonyi state police command have dismissed report on 55 suspects who escaped from custody in connection of Effium/Ezz-Effium intra communal clash.
DSP Lovetth Odah, the police public relations officer in the state said in a statement on Saturday.
“The attention of the Ebonyi State Police Command has been drawn to a rumour making waves on the social media platform/print media that suspects arrested in connection of Effium/Ezz-Effium intra communal crisis has escaped from Police custody.
According to the PPRO, “the Command perceives such rumour unfounded, mischievous and baseless. It is an attempt to create panic in the minds of Ebonians, mislead the reading public and distract the command.
“Therefore, the Command wishes to re-emphasize that up till this moment the Command has no record of cell break or escaped(s) from either those arrested and handed over to the Police in connection of Effium/Ezza-Effium Community crisis or Suspect involved in any other case within the Command.
She said , “It might interest the Public to know that the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State CP. Aliyu Garba psc+ visited Effium/Ezza-Effium Community alongside the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division Enugu on 3rd April, 2021 to inspect the Troops and the Mobile Policemen deployed to the area as the ongoing crisis has defiled many peace process intimated by the State Government.
During the visit to one of the Effium village,
” Okpoduma” some suspected Effium indigenes were arrested and not machineries as widely speculated a search within their surroundings by the security officers recovered Five (5) Dane Guns, One (1) Locally made Pistol and Some cartridges.
The suspects and all recovered exhibits are currently with the SCID for discrete investigation.
“The Command therefore reminds the general public that peddling falsehood as this is inimical to the return of normalcy at Effium community .
“Consequently the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State Police Command, CP. Aliyu Garba psc+ urges the general public to regard the news as a rumour, baseless and mischievous to suit the intention of the originator(s) and go about their lawful businesses.
“The CP wishes the good people of Ebonyi State a happy Easter celebration and reassures them of the commands resolve to protect their lives and property, “DSP Odah stated.
HURIDE tasks security agencies to rearrest” Escaped warlords immediately
The Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) Ebonyi State chapter has received with utter disappointment the shocking circulation exposing that 55 out of the 66 Uffiom war mercenaries arrested Saturday afternoon by army at Okpoduma village of Uffiom community in Ohaukwu LGA of Ebonyi State and handed over to police have escaped from police custody.
The arrests were made following the protracted communal war between Uffiom people and Ezza People in Effium which has claimed hundreds of lives and properties worth Billions destroyed. The suspected machineries who were caught wielding guns and charms were said to have been hired from Jukun, Igala, CrossRiver, ETC to kill Ezza people and destroy their homes.
An eye witness narrated that after the arrest of the suspects and recovery of the arms and charms, the GOC and the team proceeded to Nwekendiagu village in the community for same operation while the suspects were handed over to the police by the GOC for movement to police headquarter, Abakaliki for further investigation. But immediately the team left the community, it was gathered that 55 out the 66 suspects escaped from the custody while their whereabouts have remained unknown.
Against this backdrop therefore, the Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE) Ebonyi State chapter is rising in utter condemnation of this ugly development which is capable of steering up a fresh crisis in the state.
Sampson Oko Nweke; HURIDE chairman in Ebonyi disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
He said, “Our group is prevailing on the state governor,Engr Dave Umahi to do the needful. We are also holding the police responsible and demand that all the arrested machineries must be accounted for because if any of them escapes, it will spell compromise betrayal of public trust for the police and can aggravate the already heigtened tension in the state.
“HURIDE is making it bold and clear that any attempt to hide the identities of the arrested warlords or set them free secretly without trial must be resisted. We are giving EBONYI State Police Command and the government of EBONYI state 24hrs to come out clean on this heavy allegations because HURIDE cannot allow the lives of innocent Ebonyians sacrificed continually on the altar of business bargains.
“However, if the police and Ebonyi state government maintains silence till the end of this ultimatum, HURIDE may be forced to believe the circulating insinuations alleging that Ebonyi state government in collaboration with Chief Cletus Ibeto and Clement Odah has a hand in this war that has claimed hundreds of human lives and rendered many homeless because of the limestone and other mineral resources discovered in Ezza-Effium community. If established to be true, HURIDE will mobilize at least two thousand Ebonyians for a volcanic peaceful protest and will remain on the streets of Abakaliki until the right thing is done, ” Nweke stated.
