Alarming Allegation: CD Accuses Obiano's Operation Kpochapu Task Force Of Intimidation, Extortion

                  

ONITSHA - The Campaign for Democracy, CD, South East Zone has accused the Governor Willie Obiano newly constituted military joint task force on flushing out of criminals in Anambra State (Operation Kpochapu) of devising an extortion tactics in some of their check points.

The Chairman of CD in the zone, Dede Uzor A. Uzor who made the allegation yesterday during a press briefing in Onitsha, alleged that he personally saw some of the team members on uniform demanding money from bus drivers and allowing them to load passengers at an unauthorized place at Upper Iweka, along the Onitsha/Owerri road.

Uzor further alleged that some of the extortion tactics they devised included impounding any vehicle which stopped in any open space at  Upper Iweka, as well as innocent citizens passersby their check points.

He said amount being extorted from the categories of citizens, including the commercial vehicle drivers, commercial motorcyclists and pedestraints, ranged between N5,000 and N10,000, adding that the extortion was more pronounced at Owerri road, Uga Junction, New Auto Spare Parts Market, Nkpor, Zik's Roundabout, among other check points.

Uzor condemned the intimidating method being applied by some Naval officers attached to Ogbaru Naval Base who stationed at Uga junction at the Onitsha Bridge-head end of Enugu/Onitsha expressway.

He lamented that he witnessed a situation where a 62-year old man who passing through the Uga Junction check point was frog-jumped inside a dirty water just because he looked at their direction.

He further claimed to have witnessed another frog-jumping of a 22-year old girl who they accused of dressing shabbily.

He therefore called on the Governor to overhaul the task force with immediate effect to avoid tarnishing the good image of the state government and at the same time, defeat the good purpose for which it was set up.