The people of Ezinano community in Awka-South local government area of Anambra State have again accused the commander, Rapid Response Squad, (RRS), Awkuzu, Oyi local government area of Anambra State, Supol Ifeanyi Iburu of aiding their Umuzuocha neighbours to take over their communal land.
An Ezinano native, Mrs Gloria Chiama, narrated that it was a quick intervention of the commissioner of police in the state, CP Nnaghe Itam, that stopped bloodletting in the disputed land between their community and their Umuzuocha neighbours on Friday.
It was gathered that hundreds of leaders, women and youths of the Ezinano Community on receiving information that Umuzuocha people invaded the disputed land and were erecting buildings indiscriminately also stormed the area.
However, on their arrival they were said to have discovered to their disappointment that the Umuzuocha neighbours were being protected by some operatives of the RRS formerly SARS, Awkuzu who were heavily armed.
LEADERSHIP learnt, however, that some Ezinano elders had immediately contacted the state commissioner of police who promptly ordered that all the parties in the disputed land should leave the area immediately. It was CP’s intervention that forced the RRS operatives to leave the area, following which the Umuzuocha people also left, thereby averting a possible bloodbath that would have resulted.
The Umuzuocha people were also said to have started constructing perimeter fences, erosion channels/gutter and other structures on the land without recourse to the pending case in a court between them and their Ezinano neighbours over the land.
Mrs.Chiama, a farmer has called on the relevant authorities to call the RRS operatives to order saying “police do not meddle in matters of land dispute between communities and individuals, rather their job is to maintain law and order.”
Meanwhile, when contacted, the public relations officer of the state police command (PPRO), superintendent of police, SP Tochukwu Ikenga told LEADERSHIP that the claim by the Ezinano people that the RRS operatives were deployed to the disputed land on Friday was false.
He, also, described as false the claim that the commissioner of police, CP Nnaghe Itam gave order that forced those disputing over the communal land to vacate the place on Friday.
He said “It is not possible that the CP deployed operatives to go and dislodge the RRS operatives. RRS Awkuzu reports to the CP; RRS is under the state police command. Please, ignore what they (Ezinano people) are saying.”
lt would be recalled that elders and leaders of the Ezinano Community had earlier written a petition dated September 11th 2024 to the chairman, Police Service Commission (PSC) which was copied to the Presidency, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Complaint Response Unit of the Police Force Headquarters Abuja and Commissioner of Police, Anambra State against a senior police officer over alleged meddlesomeness in the same land.
