By Oko Nweke

Two days ago, the police went to Nkomoro community in Ezza North Local Government Area (Ebonyi State), shot sporadically, harassed and arrested innocent local marketers and community leaders in the guise of looking for unknown gunmen.

Those innocent people that were arrested, 13 of them are still in detention, torture as I type this, despite calls and interventions from different quarters.

Yesterday again, they invaded the same afor Nkomoro market and like terrorists, they wantonly destroyed people’s goods, houses and motorcycles.

They also set some of them on fire.

This is barbaric, hateful and a representation of a wrong way to instill public confidence on the police.

For clarity purpose, Nkomoro community is not the location of the unknown gunmen attack on the police. The attack was done at a boundary between Ogboji and Agba communities which is miles away from Nkomoro market.

The world should note this. The Nigerian Police always gives Nigerian citizens obvious reasons to see them as their enemies instead of supposed friends.

Why should they overlook the crime scene, overlook the forest hideouts of the fleeing criminals and begin arresting innocent marketers in a community quite distant from the scene of police attack.

Many persons are keeping quiet today in the face of this bare evil because to them, it does not concern them. But they should not forget that it is turn by turn. The hostile instruments of the failed Nigerian system know no boundaries. If it’s not you today, you can’t be sure of tomorrow.

Tell Police to leave Nkomoro alone. They should free the innocent marketers they arrested.

@views exclusive rights: Oko Nweke, writes from Ebonyi State, September 17, 2022.