— Demand end to police brutality
— Increase Police salary
By Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki
Protesters among youths from different parts of Ebonyi State on Thursday 15, October, 2020 barricaded old government house gate, Abakaliki demanding the end to police brutality.
The group, also called Inspector General of Police, Muhammadu Adamu,to scrap the newly introduced SWAT, a rebranded unit in Nigeria Police Force which was earlier, codenamed, Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS.
Recall that the Inspector General of Police had recently during national broadcast announced the permanent ban of Special Anti Robbery Squad,SARS over the public outcry of their unlawful activities.
Speaking during the Protest, a Nollywood actress, Angela Okorie expressed dismay over the activities of the armed men.
The Indigenous Nollywood star pointed out that she took to the peaceful protest alongside other youths of the state to demand reform of Nigeria Police Force.
According to her, the changing of name from Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS to SWAT wasn’t the demand of Nigerians, stressing that the mobile men have done more harm than good, therefore, calls for the total ban and reform of the unit.
In her words: “We are here to express our bitterness over the activities of the men of Special Anti Robbery Squad, SARS now code named SWAT who are killing innocent youths.
” I am like every other Nigerians; here my own place,my root because I have a child and I will not like my son to suffer what our youths are passing through in the hand of these police men.
“The fact that you are wearing sagging jeans, Barb dreadlock, carrying laptop or driving expensive car doesn’t make you a Yahoo boy or make one a criminal.
“Police are under paid, they need to be well paid so that they will do their job professionally; they are to be reformed and we want to see it working; not promises.
Earlier, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Internal Security Ebonyi North, and National President Izhi Nnodo Youth Forum Hon. Ben Nwovu, said the demand of the youth are in line with the outrageous attitude and manner some of the mobile men perform their legal duty.
Hon Nwovu while fielding questions from newsmen hinted that the institution having failed to professionally performed their duty calls for a reform.
According to him,”The youths are protesting not just here in Ebonyi State but in the 36 states and capital,Abuja because they are at the receiving end.
“I am speaking because there’s a laidown rules by which people should stand to govern an institution and that’s what the youths are asking.
” I think when someone is arrested, the person remains a Suspect until he’s proven beyond reasonable doubt but most times, a Suspect receives beating of his life before interrogation whether innocent or not and that’s what the youths are condemning.
“It is true that some youth have criminals tendecies but the police should not use that as a justification to treat everyone same in the society and this should be measure with whenever one lands in the hands of Soldiers or Department of Security Service,DSS, you will have different experience.
“Before, it was a particular unit of the police force but today the youths are calling for total reform because the way and manner some men of Nigeria Police Force carry on their official assignment calls for an urgent attention and I am of the opinion that the IGP should not just change their name but reform the system.
Narrating her experience, Mrs, Jane Nwokolo,a mother of one said the mobile men have caused a lot of damages in the country with the manner they handle youths who mothers are not spare out.
She pointed out that even herself was not safe as a young mothers on coloured hairscut which is one of the style the mobile men hunt for to tag them criminals, stating that the codename SWAT did not reflect on the demand of Nigerians who are asking for a reform.
Another protester, Maxwell Chukwu, and Orji Obiageri lamented that the youths are no longer safe in their own land and called the Inspector General of Police to intervened and totally scrap the newly established unit by reforming the entire police force.
However, our reporter observed that the protesters who barricaded the government house for over two hours stopped vehicular movement across the area before moving to Spera in Deo Junction where they blocked vehicles from entering the town