The leadership of the OHANEZE ND’IGBO in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja has decried the mercantile activities of Officers of the Nigeria Police Force on South East roads and lamented the hardship the people of the area go through while undertaking journeys across the zone.
A delegation of the Igbo ethnic group visited the Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Dr. Solomon Arase CFR, retired Inspector General of Police in his Office, today, Thursday, November 30th 2023 where they complained of the high-level of extortion by Policemen and the indiscriminate roadblocks that have become unpleasant between the citizens and the Police.
They called for dismantling of the fee-paying roadblocks in the zone, especially with the coming heavy traffic expected during the Christmas and New Year period in the South Zone.
Dr. Arase who promised to take up the matter with the Inspector General of Police also used the occasion to plead with the leadership of OHANEZE to stop the incessant killings of Policemen in the zone.
According to Arase, ” the killings of Police Officers in the South East is becoming worrisome. They are killing them every day and they should let the killers know that the Police are not their enemy. They have not done anything wrong. The Force has lost quite many serving Officers in the South East.
“We are your friends, stop making Police wives widows, they are your sisters” he noted.
Dr. Arase said the problem of the South East is that of identity crisis adding that ” we have resolved the perceived marginalisation of the zone in the Police representation in the country.
The leader of the Delegation, Elder (Bar) Onwu Arua, President OHANEZE ND’IGBO FCT Chapter said the Organization was concerned about the lack of interest of the Igbos in the current ongoing recruitment exercise for Constables into the Police Force.
Elder Araua however called for a more elaborate plan in the Police Recruitment apparatus to redress the disadvantages of South East in the Nigeria Police structure.
