Ohaneze Nd’Igbo Meets PSC, Decries Mercantile Activities Of Police On South East Roads
The leadership of the Ohaneze Nd’Igbo in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja has called for the immediate dismantling of what it described as “fee paying road blocks” in the South East geo-political zone particularly against the backdrop of expected heavy traffic during the Christmas and New Year celebration.
This was as the leaders kicked against the “mercantile” activities of officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force on South East roads.
The organisation noted that the activities of the police officers have brought about untold hardship on the people of the area particularly while undertaking journeys across the zone.
A delegation of the Igbo ethnic organisation made their position known when they visited the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase, a retired Inspector General of Police in his Office on Thursday, November 30, 2023 during which they complained of the high level extortion by Police men and the indiscriminate road blocks that has become unpleasant between the citizens and the police.
Responding, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr Solomon Arase promised to take up the matter with the Inspector General of Police and pleaded with the leadership of OHANEZE to stop the incessant killings of Policemen in the zone.
Arase said; “The killings of police officers in the South East is becoming worrisome. They are killing them everyday and they should let the killers know that the police is not their enemy.
“They have not done anything wrong. The Force have lost quite a number of serving officers in the South East. We are your friends, stop making police wives widows, they are your sisters,” he said.
Arase noted that the problem of the South East is that of identity crisis, saying; “we have resolved the perceived marginalisation of the zone in the police representation in the country”.
Leader of the delegation, Elder Onwu Arua, who is the President of Ohaneze Ndi’Igbo, FCT Chapter, said the Organization was concerned over the lack of interest of the Igbos in the current ongoing recruitment exercise for constables into the police force.
Elder Arua however called for a more elaborate plan in rolice Recruitment apparatus to redress the disadvantages of South East in the Nigeria Police structure.