By: Adeosun Ewatomi
Edo Civil Society Organisations (ESCO) and some students have accused the police in the state of allegedly hijacking the fight against cultism, using it to harrase and extort the Youths.
The cso alleged that the police hijacked the fight against cultism using it to raid and clam innocent youths in detention and arraigned some in court.
Leftist Osazee Edigin AICMC of the ECSO disclosed this in CSOs platform, which was monitored by the MostNewsReporters (MNR)
Edigin pointed out that one of the cases being followed by the civil society was Keke Park chairmanship tussle.
According to him, the Keke Park Chairmanship issue has turned to cultism, drug, conspiracy among persons that have never met each other and murder.
“There is also a case of some ice cream hawkers that were arrested while sleeping in the night.”Their boss visited the station to identified them, he was equally arrested and all taken to court.
“Governor Monday Okpebholo and the Attorney General//Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie need to re-strategize in the fight against cultism.
“The state government should as a matter of urgency set up a panel made up of stakeholders in the administration of criminal justice to screen all suspects of cultism before arraignment or otherwise.
“The arrest and arraignment of suspects shouldn’t be left for the police alone. Serious human rights infractions are currently going on.
“Should we talk about the alleged massive extortion being perpetuated by officers with evidence littering the social media space.
“Taking the wrong people to court is a pointer to defeat the true intention of government in getting rid of cultism in our state,” Edigin noted.
The cso further said that many innocent souls were currently languishing in prison due to the remand order by the court, stressing that lot of the cases were likely to fail during trial.
According to him, those that are able to buy their way through, even if they are the real culprits are walking freely.
Similarly, some students in Ambrose Alli University Ekpoma have also raised alarm and accused police of alleged harassment and extortion in the name of checking for cultists.Some of the students, who spoke with MostNewsReporters, alleged that police always harassed them while on bike or in their cars to or from school.“Every check point, they stop and ask you to come down on bike or in car. Yes, they are right to do that and ask you to identified yourself.After identification, they ask you to settle them or threatened to put you into their operational bus to their station.
“Some Youths pay between 10k and 150k to free themselves from police, depending what they are accusing of.
“I asked them what happened that I have to settle. Is it my school money I should give them. They will delay you to your lectures and the bike man.
“Sometimes, they will accused you that you are a cultist, then, you will start defending yourself over and over again. Students in Ekpoma are no longer free to move freely,” one of the students alarmed.
Contacted, the Edo State Police Command spokesperson, CSP Moses Yamu, said that the officers and men were committed to fighting all crimes, including cultism.
Yamu pointed out that the Commissioner of Police in the state warned that any policeman or team found violating the directives of the command, will be decisively dealt with.According to him, the CP has directed the X-Squad to monitor and ensure compliance with these directives.
“The Command is also using this medium to appeal to members of the public to report any act of extortion/harassment by policemen to the following phone numbers: “Commissioner of Police: 08132919576, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO): 08036363531.
“Public Complaints Bureau (PCB): 08150999335, Complaints Response Unit (CRU): 08100389992“Edo State Commissioner of Police expresses renewed commitment to protect lives and properties devoid of harassment or extortion,” the image maker said.