Over 60 Joint Police task force Abuse Driver In Awka , terrorize Road Users, Immobilize Over 15 Vehicles

It was horrific yesterday in the Anambra state capital Awka and environs as a joint task force operation Mkpochapu numbering over 60 members operating in over 8 trucks set up by Governor Willie Obiano to fight crime turned into road decongestion team bullying, beating up and destroying people’s side mirrors and tyres with impunity reports exclusively Odogwu Blog.

They descended on road users immobilizing vehicles parked in between the gutters as directed by the road decongestion unit code named Obiano police . They immobilized so m many vehicles either by destroying either the two tyres of the vehicle or the four depending on how angry they were at particular scene.

But it was very pathetic at Isiagu Amikwo Awka junction shortly after St Faith junction when a commuter bus had his vehicle broke down suddenly but was still beckoning on passersby to assist him pull the vehicle out of the road when the joint team besieged him beating , injuring him and deflating his four tyres with their gun nozzle.

The worst victim Chukwuebuka Okafor from Mbaukwu piloting students bus of Nnamdi Azikiwe  University, Awka lamented to Odogwu Blog that he did not know his offence that warranted his been bullied , beaten mercilessly  by armed men he could not challenge for doing nothing. He wept profusely that his vehicle had its four tryes destroyed with gun nozzle after he was beaten up by over ten police men for asking what his offence was.

Tears and pains could not allow him explain further what happened to his vehicle but was able to say he was on motion when suddenly his vehicle stopped at the middle of the road and he came down beckoning on people to assist him pull it over before hearing the sirens in terrifying order and decided to allow them pass unknown that they were after him. They started beating him………………’’.

Confirming that the police team was sent by Governor Willie Obiano for the action, the Anambra state police command PPRO, Uche Ezeh said the Anambra sate Governor Obiano inaugurated a new operation for decongestion of the state roads especially Awka, Onitsha, Nkpor and Nnewi as well as Ekwulobia , Ihiala and Umunze and other semi urban cities.

He said the operation inaugurated is code named ‘operation Sheba’ for clearing of roads for the Christmas period lamenting that the  Eke Awka axis of the Zik’s Avenue is always chaotic and needed to be decongested for free traffic flow but condemned destruction of property of individuals by the police as that was not of their mandate.  

Ezeh reminded that they embarked on decongestion recently where they impounded over 38 buses and the owners tried for the wrongful packing. He urged the press to assist them with the fight to decongest the roads. 

He however said the people that participated in the operation denied beating up anybody, or destroying any bus or vehicle. They denied the allegation.

‘’there is a mandate from the Governor that all the roads should be cleared and he inaugurated a joint taskforce Operation Sheba to tackle that as a follow up on Operation Mkpochapu’.

But a lawyer and an eye witness, Chief Emma Odum of God is Great Chambers explained how the travesty happened. He said the young man’s vehicle spoilt suddenly and he was making frantic efforts to pull it off the road before the men of the joint task force swooped on him.

Chief Odum narrated that one Kingsley Austin a DSP was trying to find out what happened to the vehicle and probably proffer solution before another Superintendent who appears to be the leader of the delegation and with a name that sounds like Shino came and started destroying the tyres of the vehicle and before you could ask a question they started beating the young man and would have killed him if not by grace of God.

‘’They are doing Boko Haram in Anambra , their leader must be removed. The action was condemnable; we are not in Military era. The leader must be removed. That their leader is inhuman and should be transferred to Borno state to fight Boko Haram. Those police officers should be arrested to pay for the collateral damages on innocent citizens in Anambra. They should be transferred out. We are bringing in an action against the Commissioner of Police …………………..’’.

Another Victim , Hon Ifeanyi Chigbo was bitter with agony over how his Mercedes was damaged with its light shattered for doing nothing. He said I just entered into this cyber café and before I came out my vehicle has been destroyed . You can see the four tyres deflated and destroyed with side mirror too.  He blamed the overzealousness of the officers to the destruction occasioned the road decongestion.

Odogwu Blog observed that many vehicles had their side mirror destroyed and tyres deflated or damaged with gun nozzles. They matched up and down Zik’s Avenue before going to other areas. They pulled down wares along the road or on top of the gutter including new Keke-Napep displayed opposite Liberty hotels Awka.