Delta community petitions Reps over likely police brutality, harassment

A community, Kwale in Ndokwa/ Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta l has petitioned the House of Representatives over alleged police brutality, dehumanisation and constant harassment of constituents by a Police officer. Rep. Nnamdi Ezechi (PDP-Delta) laid the petition on behalf of the community before the House at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday in Abuja. The community in the petition, accused one ASP currently serving under the Rapid Respond Squad (RRS), of being behind the harassment. Ezechi while reading the petition, said the complaint was long overdue owing to the nefarious activities of harassing young boys within Kwale and the surrounding communities by the police. The petitioners accused the officer of extorting the constituents of their hard earned money at every given opportunities. The community said the petition became necessary in order to call for urgent intervention as most young men within the Kwale and environs now lived in fear of death and daily attacks. Reading the petition, he said most of the complaints had always been hinged on extortion. This, the petitioners said had instilled fear in the young men and women, who no longer felt free to move about, especially with money. The petitioners alleged that the officer often threatened with a boast that he represented SARS in the community and had the protection of his superiors whom he was working for. “It suffices to point out the fact that he operates without restraint from anybody, not even his immediate senior officers as he claims to have senior godfathers backing him. “It took the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) to secure our client’s release after he was brutalised and taken into custody. In view of this, we write with serious concern with demand that you give urgent attention to this petition, ensuring justice is done. The community demanded that the responsible officer and his team is called for investigation and appropriate sanctions meted out.