Delta Community Protests, Accuses Police, Hunters of Extortion, Kidnapping

Commercial activities were disrupted on Wednesday, along with vehicular movement, as protesters from the Ekiugbo community barricaded roads within Ughelli metropolis over alleged misconduct of police and local security agents in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The protesters carried placards with various inscriptions, including ‘Police brutality is getting too much,’ ‘Police in Ughelli are fighting the innocents instead of criminals,’ ‘Too much of police illegal activities in the land,’ and ‘Ughelli Police should allow our people free movement,’ among others

They accused a section of the police and hunters attached to the Ughelli Area command of alleged kidnapping.

Speaking to journalists, the President General of Ekiugbo community, Bernard Baker, said:”We are protesting because of the evil being penetrated by hunters and a few policemen.

“Lots of kidnappings have been going on in our communities.

“But the police are just there to terrorise and extort people as they move about with battle axe, PoS machines to transfer money from suspects. It is surprising to see police officers with battle axes.

“We came to know that the hunters are the masterminds of kidnapping in Ughelli. Anytime there is an issue of kidnapping, the hunters will not come because they are hiding the kidnappers.

However, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, described the demonstration as a sham, stating that it was aimed at misleading the public by criminally-minded individuals.

Kanyi Daily recalls that young man and his girlfriend tragically lost their lives after inhaling fumes from a generator in Ugborikoko community, the Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State.