Vendors in Aba protest arrest of colleague, 77, by police

From Okey Sampson Umuahia

Vendors in Aba, Abia State under the aegis of Newspapers and Magazines Distribution Association (NEMADA), yesterday morning embarked on a peaceful protest over alleged police intimidation, harassment and arrest of their colleague.

NEMADA is in particular seeking the immediate release of their colleague, Anthony Acho, 77, who was arrested by the police Aba.

The protesters who stormed the Abia Office of correspondents’ threatened to stop circulation and sale of Newspapers if their aged member was not set free.

Chairman of the group Ike C. Ike said in a statement, “We are not happy. The vendors in Aba are not happy. We are protesting against police intimidation. We are struggling to feed our families but the police is everywhere harassing us.

“Instead of doing their job they (police) have faced the vendors. As we speak one of our members is being detained in one of the police stations.

“We learnt they beat him up mercilessly; a man of that age is crying in detention and they don’t care. They even boasted that nothing will happen if he dies in their custody. We are asking them to release the man immediately or we stop selling papers.”

They called for the intervention of well meaning and right thinking Nigerians and get Pa Acho out of detention.