Residents of Awka, the capital of Anambra State, have accused the police of killing their youths under the pretext of fighting cultism. They staged a peaceful protest around the city on Thursday, demanding the removal of two officers from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), who they alleged were behind the killings.
The protesters, who were drawn from the five communities that make up Awka, namely Ezinaano, Umuokpu, Ezi Awka, Amikwo and Agulu-Awka, said they were alarmed by the spate of cult-related killings in the state capital, especially among those who returned from abroad.
The spokesperson of the protesters, Chief Richard Onourah, said they wanted to draw the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetoku, the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Adeoye Aderemi and the public to the atrocities being perpetrated by the police in Awka and its environs.
He said the people of Awka were concerned about the incessant killings and other criminal activities in the state capital, which he claimed were facilitated by the two SCID officers. He accused them of masterminding and instigating the violence, as well as disrupting the local security outfit that was established to curb crime in the city.
He said: “We are asking the IGP and Police Service Commission (PSC) to please remove these police officers because, we, the elders and leaders of the 20 villages that form Awka capital, observe that most of the unholy activities in this town are being aided by the two officers. They are they ones masterminding the acts. They also destabilize our local security outfit, which was established to get rid of criminalities in the city. We are tired of burying our children. We want peace in our town, but we are helpless. Police authority should come to our rescue.”
However, the police have denied the allegations, saying they were not involved in any cult-related killings in Awka. The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the two officers mentioned by the protesters were part of the security operatives that helped to restore peace to Awka metropolis.
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He said the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Adeoye Aderemi, would investigate the allegations and make a report. He said: “This allegations will not demoralize us in protecting lives and property in Anambra State. The police will continue to work in partnership with other sister agencies, including the state-sponsored Anambra Vigilante Service, community/religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders to sustain the peaceful atmosphere in the state.”