- Tells Police To Conduct their Activities With A Human Face…
- Your Statement Is Coming Too Belated, Activist Tells Delta Gov
Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa on Monday tasked the state residents to be law abiding, assuring them of the state government’s commitment to the safety of lives and properties in the state.
Governor Okowa maintained that the state government “ will continue to take steps to protect our people and to also ensure that the security agencies in the state operate according to known rules of engagement.”
He said; ““We want to place it on record that nobody was shot by the police or any of the security agencies in Ughelli as was earlier reported on social media. We thank God that the individual involved in the incident is alive and responding well to treatment…”
Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who spoke to journalists in Asaba on behalf of his boss and the state government urged the public to always cross check information with government rather than relying solely on reports sourced from various Social Media channels.
He said: “As a government, we don’t interface with the police through the media; we have our channels of communication with the security agencies and we don’t inform them to take certain actions in the media.
“We have a very wonderful working relationship with the police high command and with the officers and men of the Delta State Command.
“We appreciate ‘democratic policing’ that has respect for the rights of our people. We will also urge our people to also know that security agencies have a responsibility to protect all of us, including those in government and those who have given us the mandate to govern.
“The best thing to do when you are stopped by the police is to stop and respond to the questions with respect so that at the end of the day you don’t begin to have a situation which will bring unpalatable developments.”
The Commissioner spoke in connection with a recent uproar occasioned by the public outcry which greeted an alleged shooting of a youth in Ughelli area of Delta state by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the weekend.
According to the Information Commissioner, the state government was working in collaboration with security agencies operating in the state to ensure that residents and Deltans are protected from incidents of danger and assaults.
Recall that scores of aggrieved youths in Ughelli area of Delta State had on Sunday went on mass protest, accusing operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of allegedly manhandling of a young man from Ughelli.
The youths in their droves were seen in a viral video, riding motor and hired truck, conveying white coffins to express their anger over the alleged SARS brutality in the area. The youths were seen chanting “No more SARS in Ughelli, No more SARS oo”.
They demanded that government should ban SARS officials from operating in the Ughelli part of Delta State, a plea the Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu yielded to, following his announcement on Sunday that operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and Special Tactical Squads (STS) have been banned from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties.
However, Delta State Information commissioner who was accompanied by his colleague, the State Youth Development Commissioner, Comrade Ifeanyi Egwunyenga and Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, said, “the state government has a responsibility to ensure that the police go about their duties with respect to fundamental human rights of citizens”.
“We are pleading with everybody in the state to always show respect to security agencies whenever you are stopped and being questioned, and if it happens that you are being harassed, we are very much open to be alerted as a government
“It will not be in the interest of our state and our people for individuals to go to the social media and begin to paint pictures that are at variance with realities. Let us take more time to verify social media posts before we repost so that we don’t continue to promote fake news,” he said.
However, while reacting to the State governor’s position, a human rights activist described the statement as very belated and too late in coming given that the action has been overtaken by events.
Comrade Lucky Kubenje, a Warri based activist and director said at ERa said, “the governor’s response is belated. In an era and age where government’s officials are expected to act with speed and dispatch, why didn’t the governor or his spokesman address the issues with prompt when the protest erupted?. Why wait till Monday?.”
He added: ” The IGP has already dealt with the matter by banning all those SARS and related bodies which the Ughelli youths were protesting against. Even then, to wait for 24hours, or two good days before my state governor will respond to such an incident when people in Abuja including the IGP has responded, raises issues of priority and speed on the part of those officials responsible for such matters. It is too late. It is very sad.”
Recall that amidst the Ughelli incident, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Abubakar Adamu, had on Sunday banned the personnel of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) from operating anywhere in the country.
The police force in a statement signed by its PPRO, Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Mba ordered that all stop and search duties and patrols by SARS are hereby terminated with immediate effect.
The IGP had also warned against invasion of privacy of citizens, unauthorized search of phones and laptops. The police boss who ordered that no personnel should appear in mufti but uniforms during patrols or tactical assignments rolled out severe punishment for violators of the new order.
