A team of policemen numbering over 20 from the Ebonyi State Police Command yesterday allegedly disrupted the New Yam festival celebration of the Ihie Autonomous Community, Ishiagu, in the Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State.
The policemen, including the Crack Squad team, Anti Kidnapping and SWAT teams, were said to have invaded the venue of the New Yam festival. They fired teargas to disperse the villagers who converged at the Afia Eru for the commencement of the cultural festival.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the Town Union president of the community, Comrade Chijoke Umeh, expressed shock over the action of the policemen and maintained that security personnel who are expected to protect the lives and properties of the citizens should not be seen firing teargas where children, elderly woman and the sick had gathered.
Comrade Umeh noted that the people of the Ihie Autonomous Community of Ishiagu, Ivo local government area, usually celebrate its New Yam festival every 29th September, adding that the officers are acting on the instruction of the embattled traditional ruler of the community, Eze Gabriel Okoro.
“This morning, we gathered to start preparation for our new yam festival, but surprisingly, 4 Hilux Van of a team of Policemen from ‘Crack team’ SWAT and Anti Kidnapping stormed the venue of the celebration and threw canisters of tear gas on men, women and children in order to disperse them.
“The Policemen alleged that the State Governor Francis Nwifuru instructed them to ensure that no festival holds today, but we had already written to the State governor and other government functionaries informing them of the festivity, and we didn’t get any information not to go ahead.
“They invaded the venue, carted away some cannon guns from the community and chased away women who were cooking food for the event.
“They went to the Afia Eru venue for the events, destroyed canopies and chairs that were already mounted, and carried away the generator set belonging to the musical entertainer. Unfortunately, one of the canisters fired by them entered the house close to the venue where patients were receiving treatment.
“A sick teenager who was on a drip with her aged grandmother, mother and younger siblings was badly affected by the teargas. Fortunately, they were rescued by other people around as the apartment was filled with flames from the tear gas.”
Also affected was a nursing mother, as tear gas was directly thrown into their compound.
An aged elder in the community, Chief Leonard Eke, 77, said that the community had been engulfed in a leadership crisis following some of the activities of the traditional ruler and his son, Chinedu Okoro.
Elder Eke lamented that the traditional ruler has been tormenting women and youths of the community, which prompted the community to pass a vote of no confidence on him.
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Joshua Ukandu, said that his office is yet to be briefed on the allegation, adding that he will communicate with the Divisional Police Officer, DPO Bethel Ama, to get details of what happened.
