Abia journalists warn against police harassment of traditional rulers

By Vincent Kalu

Abia Media Forum, a body of media men from Abia State, have condemned as double standard, the penchant of the State Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede who it accused of demeaning traditional institutions in the state and humiliating traditional rulers that she invites to state headquarter at will.

In the instant case that prompted the journalists to ask that Agbede be called to order or be redeployed, she was alleged to have invited some royal fathers in whose communities herdsmen allegedly led their herds of cattle to destroy their farms.

According to a statement from the Chairman of the Forum, Mr. Ben Okezie, the communities had reported the herders grazing on and destroying their farms but rather than desist, the farm destruction was repeated and when the farmers confronted the herders, they allegedly pulled out AK47 rifles and threatened to shoot them.

Related News

In the ensuing clash, some cows were allegedly killed by the community, prompting Agbede to invite the royal fathers to Police headquarters in Umuahia.

“Our platform, the Abia Media Forum, takes exception to the Police’s treatment of the people and a First-Class traditional ruler, Eze John Akaniro, the traditional ruler of Umuobasiukwu Ozuitem, despite latter-day denials by the Police and the citizen involved. The people of Ozuitem first reported to the Nigerian Police Force the destruction of crops in their farmlands at Ogboko community by herders and their cows. When confronted, the herders pointed their AK 47 at the farmers..

The Police did nothing about the report. The next time, the community reacted when a herd of cows invaded the farmlands. The Abia State Commissioner of Police then “invited” the traditional ruler and seven community leaders to the Police Command Headquarters in Umuahia.

“The Abia Media Forum condemns the apparent deployment of unbalanced scales by the State Police Command. They did nothing when the farmers reported damage to their crops but rose to their official height when the same farmers acted against the invading cows. We do not accept such apartheid in justice administration in our state. We are glad nevertheless that Commissioner of Police Janet Agbede and Eze Akaniro deny earlier reports of detention of the traditional ruler and former chairman of the Abia State Council of Ndi Eze as well as seven citizens. Eze Akaniro in later accounts claimed that the Police only invited him to clarify the situation, asked him to state that they did not detain him, and set him free the same day.

“Next time we urge the Abia State Police Command to offer the same courtesy of going to the palace of revered traditional rulers in Abia State as they do in other geopolitical zones,” the forum insisted.